Abstract
The effect of disposing municipal waste on soil was evaluated by analyzing the microbiological and enzyme activity of soil samples at three different locations, from five municipal waste dumpsites and compared with soil samples from a farmland which serves as the control. Soil microbial load, physicochemical parameters and enzyme activities were determined using standard procedure. The highest heterotrophic bacterial count (1.02 ± 0.4 × 10 7 cfu/g) was recorded from New Benin market Dumpsite (sampling point A) while the least (3.25 ± 0.4 ×10 4 cfu/g) was from the control (sampling point C). The result obtained showed that there was significant difference (p> 0.05) in the Heterotrophic bacteria and fungi count between the control and the soil samples from the various locations of the dumpsites. The bacteria identified were Acinetobacter species, Micrococcus luetus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Serratia species, Bacillus subtilis , Klebsiella species, Staphylococcus aureus , Arthrobacter species, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus feacalis , while fungi identified were Aspergillus niger , Trichoderma species, Penicillium species, Fusarium species, Mucor species, Saccharomyces species, Rhizopus species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most prevalent bacterial isolate (20.3 %) while Streptococcus feacalis was the least isolate (3.1 %). Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungi isolate and Fusarium species the least isolated fungi. The enzymatic profile revealed that Oba market and Satana market had the highest Dehydrogenase and Urease activities with the values of 23.70 ± 16.32 mg/g/6h and 97.90 ± 14.93 mg/g/24h respectively. The physicochemical parameter measured in this study showed that the soil samples were acidic (5.60 ± 0.17 – 6.23 ± 0.35) and sandy (72.20 ± 4.11 - 90.60 ± 0.00 %). Trace amount of zinc (0.10 ± 0.00 – 1.53 ± 1.02 mg/kg), lead (< 0.01 – 1.23 ± 0.17 mg/kg) and copper (0.01 ± 0.00 – 0.80 ± 0.10 mg/kg) was observed in both the control soil and the test samples. The result showed that although municipal waste dump is an unsustainable practice, it has a positive impact on the quality of the soil samples examined. Keywords: Microbiological, Enzymatic, Municipal Waste Dumpsites, Soil, Benin City
Highlights
Soil is a critically important component of the earth’s biosphere, functioning in the production of food and fiber and in the maintenance of local, regional and global environmental quality (Glanz, 1995)
Nigeria has an enormous waste management problem, all over the country; there are examples of unsanitary open dumps and industrial contaminations which are continuously discharged on land and into streams and rivers without treatment (Agunwamba, 1998)
Study Area: This study was conducted in Benin City Edo State, Nigeria
Summary
Soil samples were collected from three locations from five different dumpsites namely Ediaken market, Oba market, New Benin market, Ekiosa market and Satana market. 1ml was plated out by pour plate method on nutrient agar for bacterial count and potato dextrose agar for fungal count. After incubation discrete colonies of culture on nutrient agar and potato dextrose agar plates were counted and the unit expressed in cfu/g. Particle Size Distribution, Total Organic Carbon and Phosphorus were determined by method describe by Onyeonwu (2000). Metals such as Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) were determined according to methods stated by Radojevic and Bashkin, (1999). Trace metals Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), and Cadmium (Cd) content of the soil samples were evaluated in accordance with procedures stated by Onyeonwu (2000) using a Digester and Atomic Absorbance Spectrophotometer (AAS)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
