Use Of Bottles Research Articles

Maternal ethnicity and iron status in early childhood in Toronto, Canada: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal ethnicity and iron deficiency (ID) in early childhood, and to evaluate whether infant feeding practices linked to ID differ between maternal...

Isolation of an antimicrobial-resistant, biofilm-forming, Klebsiella grimontii isolate from a reusable water bottle.

A reusable water bottle was swabbed as part of the citizen science project “Swab and Send,” and a Klebsiella grimontii isolate was recovered on chromogenic agar and designated SS141. Whole‐genome sequencing of SS141 showed it has the potential to be a human pathogen as it contains the biosynthetic gene cluster for the potent cytotoxin, kleboxymycin, and genes for other virulence factors. The genome also contains the antibiotic‐resistant genes, bla OXY‐6‐4, and a variant of fosA, which is likely to explain the observed resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin, and fosfomycin. We have also shown that SS141 forms biofilms on both polystyrene and polypropylene surfaces, providing a reasonable explanation for its ability to colonize a reusable water bottle. With the increasing use of reusable water bottles as an alternative to disposables and a strong forecast for growth in this industry over the next decade, this study highlights the need for cleanliness comparable to other reusable culinary items.

Evaluation of complementary feeding knowledge and behavior of mothers with children between four-twenty four months

Aim: Complementary feeding is important for growth in infancy. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge of complementary feeding of mothers who take their children to our hospital and to evaluate the effects of mother’s and baby’s characteristics on complementary feeding. Material and Method: Between December 2018 and February 2019, 259 mothers who admitted to our hospital were included in the study. Mothers’ knowledge and behavior about complementary feeding were questioned. Results: The mean age of 259 mothers was 28.71 ± 5.09 years old. 94 (36.3%) of the participants introduced complementary feeding before six months. The mean time to introduce complementary feeding was 5.67 ± 0.84 months. Complementary feeding was introduced with 48.6% yoghurt, 17.8% fruit puree and 17% soup. The most frequent reason for early onset was the weight gain of the baby and the decrease in breast milk. A significant difference was found between the monthly income of the family, smoking and working of the mother, and early initiation of complementary feeding. The use of feeding bottles and/or pacifiers was also associated with early onset of complementary feeding. Conclusion: Mothers’ time to introduce complementary feeding varies. Mothers should be given more education about complementary feeding for healthy development of babies.

Hydrate Philly: An Intervention to Increase Water Access and Appeal in Recreation Centers.

IntroductionPrevious interventions to increase water access and consumption have focused on school settings, have shown mixed results on sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, and have rarely addressed tap water safety. Our randomized controlled trial examined how improving access and appeal of water in recreation centers in low-income neighborhoods affected counts of SSBs carried by youth attending summer camp.MethodsRecreation centers (N = 28) matched on their characteristics were randomly assigned to control or intervention groups. Intervention centers received a new water fountain with a bottle filler (hydration station), water testing services, reusable water bottles, and water promotion and education training and materials. Primary outcomes were 1-year changes in center-level average daily gallons of water from fountains and hydration stations (flowmeter readings). Secondary outcomes were counts of SSBs observed, use of bottled water and reusable water bottles, staff SSB consumption, and hydration station maintenance.ResultsResults showed increased water use (b = 8.6, 95% CI, 4.2–13.0) and reusable bottle counts (b = 10.2, 95% CI, 4.2–16.1) in intervention centers compared with control centers. No change occurred in youth carrying SSBs at camp, but center staff’s past 30-day SSB consumption frequency decreased (b = −34.8, 95% CI, −67.7 to −1.9). Intervention sites had marginally lower odds of maintenance problems (OR = 0.09; 95% CI, 0.004–0.76, P = .06) than control sites.ConclusionAlthough providing hydration stations along with water testing, reusable water bottles, education, and promotion increased water consumption among youth at recreation centers, it had no effect on the number of SSBs observed during camp. Future strategies to increase water consumption should also address reducing SSB intake.

Utility of anaerobic bottles for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections

BackgroundObligate anaerobes usually account for less than 10% of bacteria recovered from blood cultures (BC). The relevance of routine use of the anaerobic bottle is under debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of anaerobic bottles for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections (BSI).MethodsWe conducted a 6-month, retrospective, monocentric study in a tertiary hospital. All positive BC were grouped into a single episode of bacteremia when drawn within 7 consecutive days. Bacteremia were classified into contaminants and BSI. Charts of patients with BSI due to obligate anaerobes were studied.ResultsA total of 19,739 blood cultures were collected, 2341 of which (11.9%) were positive. Anaerobic bottles were positive in 1528 (65.3%) of all positive BC but were positive alone (aerobic bottles negative) in 369 (15.8%). Overall 1081 episodes of bacteremia were identified, of which 209 (19.3%) had positive anaerobic bottles alone. The majority 126/209 (60.3%) were contaminants and 83 (39.7%) were BSI. BSI due to facultative anaerobes, obligate aerobes and obligate anaerobes were identified in 67 (80.7%), 3 (3.6%) and 13 (15.7%) of these 83 episodes, respectively. BSI due to obligate anaerobic bacteria were reported in 9 patients with gastro-intestinal disease, in 3 with febrile neutropenia and in 1 burned patient.ConclusionsAnaerobic bottles contributed to the diagnosis of a significant number of episodes of bacteremia. Isolated bacteria were mostly contaminants and non-obligate anaerobic pathogens. Rare BSI due to obligate anaerobes were reported mainly in patients with gastro-intestinal disorders and during febrile neutropenia.

Factors associated with dietary patterns in the second half of life

The aim of this paper is to identify eating patterns of children aged 6, 9 and 12 months and their association with socioeconomic, behavioral, birth and nutrition variables. Cross-sectional study with children from a cohort in Viçosa-MG, with 112 children at 6 months, 149 at 9 months and 117 at 12 months. Food intake was assessed by a 24-hour recall and patterns extracted by cluster analysis. Breast milk was identified in at least one dietary pattern every month. There was a low participation of ultra-processed foods in the identified dietary patterns. At month 6, children with lower family income were less likely to belong to the dietary pattern composed of milk formulas. Already overweight/obesity was 3.69 times higher in children who made up the pattern 2 (dairy formulas, vegetables, vegetables, beef and pear). At 12 months height deficit (PR = 3.28) and bottle use (PR = 4.51) were associated with the dietary pattern composed of milk formulas and cow's milk. The dietary patterns identified reflected the important participation of breast milk in children's diets. Dietary patterns with the presence of other types of milk were associated with nutritional deviations and bottle feeding.

Conhecimento de mães sobre formas de aleitamento e hábitos deletérios

Introdução: O aleitamento materno exclusivo é fundamental até os seis meses, pois além de promover a saúde integral para o bebê, auxilia no desenvolvimento craniofacial e nas funções estomatognáticas. Objetivo: Investigar o conhecimento das mães sobre aleitamento materno, hábitos orais deletérios e outros métodos para ofertar a dieta ao bebê. Método: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo de caráter quantitativo. Foi aplicado um questionário semiestruturado com perguntas abertas e fechadas, em 80 mães de uma Clínica Escola de Fonoaudiologia, no período de junho a setembro de 2017. Resultados: 66,3% das mães possui idade entre 18 a 30 anos, 98,8% realizou pré-natal, 63,8% realizou aleitamento materno exclusivo até os seis meses de idade, a maioria (88,8%) demonstrou conhecimento acerca da amamentação exclusiva e 72,5% receberam informações sobre o aleitamento no hospital, 43,8% receberam informações sobre o uso da chupeta e 27,5% quanto ao uso da mamadeira. Observou-se que a mamadeira é a segunda forma mais conhecida para ofertar leite ao bebê, totalizando 52,7%. Em relação ao profissional que mais orientou sobre a amamentação, hábitos orais deletérios e utensílios de alimentação foi o enfermeiro (57,5%) e apenas 16,30% receberam orientações de fonoaudiólogos. Conclusão: Pode-se concluir que há grande adesão do aleitamento materno exclusivo, porém há ainda uma parcela que não realiza desta forma. As mães possuem conhecimento em relação à chupeta, mamadeira, aleitamento materno e outras formas de aleitar, porém, as informações sobre o Sistema Estomatognático estão escassas. Verificou-se que não houve muita atuação do fonoaudiólogo com essa população. Vale ressaltar que há maior número de enfermeiros, em comparação com o número de fonoaudiólogos.

Risk factors for communication disorders and complaints of preschoolers in a School Health Program

ABSTRACT Purpose: to survey the prevalence of risk factors for communication disorders and complaints in preschoolers that participated in the School Health Program (SHP) and compare the findings with age and sex. Methods: the sample comprised 190 preschoolers reached by the SHP. The collection procedure involved the exploration of data in questionnaires previously filled out by their relatives. The risk factors and communication complaints were presented in the occurrence frequency. The evidence of associations between variables was verified with the Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests, and the 5% significance level was used for all comparisons. Results: baby bottle use was the most prevalent risk factor associated with age, being more frequent in younger children. The girls underwent more complications during pregnancy or birth and showed more nonnutritive sucking habits, whereas the boys had more hospital stays. Conclusion: regarding the investigated risk factors, the baby bottle use was the most reported one, followed by ear infections or other ear problems. Complaints related to speaking and hearing were seldom mentioned, although those related to speaking occurred more frequently.

Comparative Evaluation on the MOE between EN, BS and ASTM of Concrete Containing PET

The wide use of plastic bottles has led to a drastic increase in the disposal of plastic bottles. Reusing waste plastic bottles in concrete may be beneficial to the environment and help ensure economic viability at the same time. Previous researchers had investigated the application of waste materials in the construction field by using polyethylene terephthalate as one of the solutions to address this environment threat. In this research, the aim of the study is to investigate the modulus of elasticity of concrete material incorporated with polyethylene terephthalate. To achieve the objective of the study, the modulus of elasticity test was conducted to determine the Modulus of Elasticity (MOE). A comparison of MOE between Eurocodes (EC), British Standard (BS) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards was conducted. At the end of this study, the value of modulus of elasticity resulting from the plastic bottle concrete material was expected to be classified as the same category as common concrete. Besides, the plastic bottle concrete material was also expected to possess similar properties as other conventional materials. Optimistically, the results of this research resulting from the MOE concrete plastic bottles that are not classified as a similar category as conventional concrete recorded a difference of 4.26% to 59.29%. It can be concluded that shred plastic bottles have a lower feasibility and do not have the potential to be used in concrete mixes.

193: Assessing urinary phthalates during pregnancy by food and beverage consumption habits

To identify behaviors associated with phthalate exposure and to characterize heterogeneity during pregnancy by maternal race. A birth cohort study of phthalate exposure for 378 African American and white women in the second trimester of pregnancy. We collected urine for phthalates analysis and dietary and lifestyle data at the time of enrollment. Principle components analysis (PCA) was used to identify independent predictor variables for describing clustered food and beverage consumption habits given strong correlations among the variables. Principal component 1 (PC1) habits included high organic and unprocessed food intake, the highest consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables while pregnant, and the highest use of safe plastics. Principle component 2 (PC2) habits included the use of plastics for food storage, microwaving in plastic containers, use of hard plastic water bottles, and the lowest organic food consumption. Principle component 3 (PC3) habits included the consumption of the highest quantities of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables while pregnant, and the lowest use of plastic food storage. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between individual phthalates and food and beverage consumption habits, adjusted for confounders. African Americans had significantly greater concentrations of every urinary phthalate metabolite compared to whites(p< 0.0001) for MBP, MiBP, MBzP, MEP, and MMP and MEHP (p< 0.01). PCA showed that greater reported use of plastics for food storage, microwaving in plastic containers, use of hard plastic water bottles, and lowest organic food consumption outside of pregnancy were associated with racial differences in phthalate levels. Behavioral patterns regarding use of soft plastics, microwaving in plastics, and canned foods correlated with the greatest levels of urinary phthalate exposure. These patterns of nutritional consumption can be targeted to limit gestational exposure to phthalates.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Feasibility of Electronic Monitoring of Daily Oral Medications in Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

Background: The field has made significant strides in understanding the mechanisms underlying pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD), and the coming years will likely see the approval of several new medications to treat SCD. The impact of these medications on clinical outcomes, however, will be dependent on patient adherence. Adolescents with SCD are at particular risk for non-adherence, and as disease management increasingly includes self-administration of oral medications, adherence assessment will become a critical component of research on medication effectiveness and clinical care. While electronic monitoring devices (bottles with computer chips that record date- and time-stamps of device openings) such as MEMS® bottles are considered the "gold standard" for adherence assessment in other populations, their feasibility among adolescents with SCD remains unknown. Objectives: The primary aims of this study were to examine data on MEMS® bottle use among adolescents (ages 13-21 years) with SCD to: 1) evaluate the feasibility of MEMS® bottle use; and 2) elicit barriers and facilitators to MEMS® bottle use. Methods: As part of a larger study of a self-management intervention, adolescents were asked to use a MEMS® bottle to store and administer their daily oral medication (hydroxyurea or deferasirox) for the 18-week study duration. The larger study included baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments, at which adolescents were asked to provide their MEMS® bottle for data download. Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess multiple domains of MEMS® bottle feasibility including: initial uptake (% enrolled), MEMS® initiation (% initiated), and MEMS® sustained use (% completed; % provided bottles for download ±2 weeks of scheduled study visit = "on time"). Barriers and facilitators to MEMS® use were elicited via adolescent self-report. Results: In the larger study, 18 non-Hispanic African-American adolescents (M = 17.8 years, SD = 2.6; 61% male) with HbSS were asked to use a MEMS® bottle to store their hydroxyurea (n = 14) or deferasirox (n = 4). Initial uptake was 94.7%, with 18 of 19 eligible adolescents enrolling in the study. Of the 18 enrolled adolescents, all initiated MEMS® use (100%) and 11 sustained MEMS® use through the final study endpoint (61.1%). Eight (44.4%) and 2 (11.1%) adolescents provided their MEMS® bottle for download "on time" at post-treatment (42 days) and follow-up (126 days), respectively. Barriers to MEMS® use included medication changes (i.e., medication holds, dose timing changes) and transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Facilitators included tip sheets (e.g., places to store bottle, reminder to place refills in bottle) and reminder calls. Participants took a median of 26.2% of doses using the MEMS® across the 126 days (SD = 22.4; range 0.79% - 79.3%), illustrating that electronic monitoring devices are not a solution to medication adherence, but are one component of an adherence support strategy. See Figure 1 for adherence rates over time. Discussion: Data suggest that MEMS® are acceptable to adolescents with SCD. Ensuring sustained MEMS® use, however, will likely require additional supports. For example, electronic monitors which automatically transmit data in real-time via Bluetooth or cellular connections would eliminate the need for adolescents to bring bottles to study visits for data downloads. Researchers and clinicians interested in using electronic monitoring devices are encouraged to consider remote monitoring capabilities along with other device features when selecting a product. Larger studies are needed to evaluate concordance between rates of adherence obtained via electronic monitoring and other assessments and to validate electronically-monitored medication adherence with clinically-relevant outcomes for adolescents with SCD. Figure 1 Disclosures Quinn: Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Other: Research Support.

Fabrication and Testing of Plastic Sand Bricks

In this study, the use of plastic bottles and plastic waste in the making of plastic sand bricks is examined. Plastic apart from being one of the highly generated waste is also one of the most easily recyclable materials. Using this property of recyclability, plastic waste in the form of PET bottles will be used to create masonry units that may be able to replace conventional bricks which are made up of clay and sand only. Sand will be mixed with plastic in different ratios and tests such as compressive strength test, water absorption test, efflorescence test and fire resistance test will be done. Results from this study are expected to help determine the appropriate mixing ratios of sand and plastic in order to obtain optimum strength and other properties.

Effect of Different Anti-Coagulants on the Accuracy of Glycated Haemoglobin Results

Background: Most manufacturers of glycated haemoglobin kits advocate for the use of EDTA bottles for sample collection. Other manufacturers even when using the same glycated haemoglobin assay method, advocate for the use of any of these anticoagulant: EDTA, heparin and fluoride oxalate as any of these anticoagulants for sample collection.&#x0D; Aim: This study was therefore designed to evaluate the effect of different anticoagulants on the accuracy of glycated haemoglobin value using the same method.&#x0D; Methods: Thirty subjects were selected by purposive sampling method and 2ml of blood was collected from each subject into sodium heparin, EDTA and fluoride oxalate bottles and stored for three days at 4ºC. Fifteen subjects’ samples were analysed daily for the next two days then all the samples were analysed on the third day. All samples were analysed using the boronate affinity chromatographic method by Clover.&#x0D; Results: The mean of the values of glycated haemoglobin of samples for each anticoagulants were about the same for the first, second and third day. The differences in the mean values for each anticoagulant were not statistically significant, indicating fairly good stability.&#x0D; Conclusion: From this study, it could be concluded that blood sample in EDTA, fluoride oxalate and heparin bottles can be used for glycated haemoglobin estimation without affecting the accuracy of the result. These samples in these containers were found to be stable for at least three days.

Study of soft soil reinforcement using woven waste plastic bottles

The construction of infrastructure on the ground that the carrying capacity is low resulting in a huge drop and lateral movement. Various methods have been developed to overcome these problems, particularly with the method of waste utilization. Therefore, the authors wanted to determine the effect of the use of woven plastic bottle waste on soil with low bearing capacity using experimental research methods. Testing is done by looking at the deformation that occurs in the soft ground without reinforcement and by reinforcement using woven plastic bottles tier 1 and tier 2. From the test results on the ground deformation that is not given retrofitting a load of 4 kN is 45,5mm, whereas by strengthening the use of woven plastic bottles tier 1 and tier 2 with the same load of 4 kN is 41,60mm and 38,20mm, so it can be concluded that the ground by reinforcement ply weaved plastic bottle 1 has increased by 9.38% strength and for woven layer 2 by 19.11% against the vertical deformation that occurs. Judging from the patterns of deformation modeling results is included in the pattern of local shear failure.

Does mechanical stress cause microplastic release from plastic water bottles?

Plastic particle ingestion has become of concern as a possible threat to human health. Previous works have already explored the presence of microplastic (MP) in bottled drinking water as a source of MP intake. Here, we consider the release of MP particles from single-use PET mineral water bottles upon exposure to mechanical stress utilizing SEM plus EDS, which allows the implementation of morphological and elemental analysis of the plastic material surface and quantification of particle concentrations in sample water. The aim of this study was to better evaluate the sources of MP intake from plastic bottles, especially considering the effect of daily use on these bottles such as the abrasion of the plastic material. For that, we analysed MP release of PET bottlenecks and HDPE caps on their surfaces after a series of bottle openings/closings (1 x, 10 x, 100 x). Furthermore, we investigated, if the inner surface of the PET bottles released MPs, counted particle increase of the water and identified MPs in the PET bottled water after exposing the bottles to mechanical stress (squeezing treatment; none, 1 min, 10 min). The results showed a considerable increase of MP particle occurrence on the surface of PET and HDPE material (bottlenecks and caps) after opening and closing the bottles. After 100 times the effect was impressive, especially on caps. Moreover, great differences exist in cap abrasion between brands which uncovers a discrepancy in plastic behavior of brands. Interestingly, particle concentrations in the bottled mineral water did not significantly increase after exposure to mechanical stress (squeezing treatment). The morphological analysis of the inner wall surface of the bottles supported this observation, as no stress cracks could be detected after the treatment, implying that the bottles itself are not a consistent source of MP particles after this extent of mechanical stress. However, chances of MP ingestion by humans increase with frequent use of the same single-use plastic bottle, though only from the bottleneck-cap system.

Synovial fluid culture: agar plates vs. blood culture bottles for microbiological identification

Bacteriological diagnosis of septic arthritis (SA) is complicated. Agar plates are the main culture method and yields 40-60% of positive bacterial detection. Addition of bottled culture broth (Bactec®) as a method for detecting synovial microorganisms is common. The advantages of this method and the combination of both have not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluates an added value of the Bactec culture broth as a single method or as combined with the agar-plate culture. All culture aspirates of SA-suspected patients were analyzed. All cases with a positive result by either method were reviewed for background data and clinical diagnosis. Out of 5000 synovial fluid samples, a clinical diagnosis of SA was suspected in 1024 cases. Samples processed by both culture methods were extracted during the same event. Bactec® vials were positive for significant bacterial detection in 113/148 cases (76.4%) while agar-plate cultures were positive in only 96/154 (62.3%) representing higher sensitivity of 0.5 vs. 0.42 and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.76 vs. 0.62. Bacterial detection by both methods combined was positive in 137/221 (62%) and did not achieve a significant increment. The Bactec® method has many advantages in bacteriological identification of synovial infection, including a broader identification spectrum, faster response time, and superior qualities of identification although being more expensive. This method has a better yield in detecting septic arthritis and might be considered a single method for synovial fluid culture in cases suspected for SA.Key Points• The Bactec method had improved detection rates.• Culturing by agar plates and Bactec revealed higher sensitivity and lower specificity.• The use of the blood culture bottles (Bactec system) alone will raise the detection rate of septic arthritis with lower false positive rates and at lower costs.

Correlation between milk bottle practice and diarrhea on children under five at Puskesmas Umbulharjo 1, Yogyakarta City

Background: Diarrhea is one of the causes of death in children. The incidence of diarrhea in Yogyakarta City in 2014 was still quite high, as many as 917 cases. The use of milk bottles is one of the factors causing diarrhea in children. Milk bottles are susceptible to bacterial contamination due to poorthe use of milk bottles. Objective: To investigate the relationship between the practice of using milk bottles and the incidence of diarrhea in infants in the working area of Umbulharjo 1 Health Center, Yogyakarta City. Methods: The design of this study was cross sectional. The research was conducted in the Umbulharjo Community Health Center work area 1. The research subjects were 138 children aged 0–59 months and using milk bottles. Data were analyzed using Chi Square test to determine the relationship between the practice of using milk bottles and the incidence of diarrhea. Results: The practice of using milk bottles in 89 toddlers (64.5%) was included in the bad category while 49 toddlers (35.5%) were included in the good category. There was a relationship between the practice of using milk bottles with the incidence of diarrhea (p=0.00). Conclusion: The practice of using a good bottle of milk can reduce the risk of diarrhea in infants.

Preventive Health Application to Increase Breastfeeding.

Background: Mother-infant dyads are not meeting recommended breastfeeding goals. There is lack of consensus regarding any program's ability to increase breastfeeding duration to meet the recommended guidelines, and effective strategies are needed moving forward to help families meet those goals. Primary prevention utilizing consistent visits with lactation professionals with a group of new mothers may efficiently address this care gap. Methods: Mother-infant dyads attending a newborn care clinic for 6 weeks received feeding assessment and standard-of-care guidance from an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Regression analysis was completed with outcome variables "exclusive direct breastfeeding" (EDB) and "any breastfeeding" (AB) at 6 weeks postpartum (PP) and odds ratios were calculated. Results: The number and timing of IBCLC visits was correlated with EDB at 6 weeks PP. Maternal/infant dyads seen at day 3 had 2.5 times higher odds of EDB at 6 weeks than those not receiving IBCLC standard-of-care feeding assessment. Dyads seen at days 3 and 14 had 3.4 times higher odds of EDB than those with less follow-up. Bottle use correlated with decreased odds of AB at 6 weeks PP; similarly, dyads seen only at day 14 PP had decreased odds of EDB. When looking at timing of the first involvement, dyads seen at 3 days had higher odds of EDB than dyads first seen at day 14 PP. Conclusions: This primary prevention strategy of early minimal intervention using an IBCLC increased the odds of EDB and AB at 6 weeks PP. These data support the conclusion that early feeding assessment the first 2 weeks PP with an IBCLC may increase breastfeeding at 6 weeks PP.

Behaviour of sand-filled plastic bottled clay panels for sustainable homes

Adequate shelter is a basic necessity for human existence and mankind has continuously improved the quality of shelter. It is estimated that about 1.6 billion people still lack adequate housing. There is a cogent need for developing new methods of delivering housing that can be accessible to low-income communities who have little or no access to finances. Plastic bottles have been suggested as a candidate material for constructing low-cost, environmentally friendly homes in developing countries. Although some research on the use of plastic bottles for housing was found, the existing literature shows considerable discrepancies in the strength of plastic bottles and bottled cubes. Furthermore, the literature is limited to cement cubes and no research has been carried out using locally sustainable materials such as soils. As part of the ‘Bottle House’ project for developing low-cost sustainable homes in Nigeria, this paper seeks to fill this gap by reporting the results of two series of experimental work carried out at the University of Plymouth. A total of eight-four 500 ml PET bottles and twelve wall and floor panels with and without sand-filled plastic bottles were prepared and tested to investigate their strength and failure behaviour. The test results have shown that in-filled sands made a significant contribution to the strength of the bottles and the bottles tested vertically resisted better than those tested horizontally. They have also shown that the panels with sand-filled bottles have about a quarter of the strength of the daub only panels due to a lack of cohesion between bottles and daub, but they are found to be more ductile than the latter.

Use of PET bottles in Rigid Pavement – A Review

Use of PET bottles in Rigid Pavement – A Review