Objective To investigate the sanitation status of public places in Wanzhou district of Chongqing, China, and to provide a basis for further strengthening supervision and monitoring.

Methods Health hazard factors were monitored in 60 public places in Wanzhou district, including hotels, barbershops, large-and medium-sized shopping malls (supermarkets) and beauty shops. The result were evaluated according to the Hygienic Indicators and Limits for Public Places (GB 37488-2019) and the Standard of the Measurement and Evaluation for Efficiency of Building Ventilation (JGJ/T 309-2013).

Results In 2020, a total of 652 samples in 60 public places were monitored and showed a qualified rate of 72.86%, and the qualified rates in hotels, barbershops, shopping malls (supermarkets), and beauty shops were 73.42%, 56.67%, 72.25% and 86.36%, respectively; the samples from beauty shops had the highest qualified rate, while those from barbershops had the lowest qualification rate, and there was a significant difference in the qualified rate of samples among the different types of places (χ² = 19.95, P < 0.05). The unqualified indicators of hotels were noise, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, total bacterial count in air, total bacterial count on towels/mouthwash cups/elevator buttons, and Staphylococcus aureus on elevator buttons, among which noise had the highest unqualified rate of 67.35%, followed by the pH value of towels (36.11%), and the unqualified rate of Staphylococcus aureus on elevator buttons was 2.78%. The unqualified indicators of barbershops were noise, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in air, total bacterial count on towels and hair scissors/combs, and the pH value of towels, among which noise had the highest unqualified rate of 100%, followed by total bacterial count on towels and the pH value of towels (both of unqualified rates were 46.67%). The unqualified indicators of shopping malls (supermarkets) were noise, and total bacterial count on cash registers and shopping carts/baskets, among which noise had the highest unqualified rate of 100%, followed by total bacterial count on cash registers (18.75%). The unqualified indicators of beauty shops were total bacterial count on towels and beauty tools and coliform bacteria on beauty tools, among which total bacterial count on beauty tools had the highest unqualified rate of 22.73%, and coliform bacteria on beauty tools had an unqualified rate of 2.27%.

Conclusion In 2020, there were relatively low qualified rates of the health hazard factors monitored in the four types of public places in Wanzhou district of Chongqing, mainly the exceedance of noise, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in air, total bacterial count and towel pH. Staphylococcus aureus and coliform bacteria were detected on elevator buttons and beauty tools, indicating poor sanitation of public goods and appliances. It is recommended to strengthen the monitoring intensity and supervision intensity of the prominent indicators in the above places.