Assessment of Wastewater Management at the Etoudi Slaughterhouse in the Municipality of Yaoundé - Cameroon

Abstract

The management of wastewater in developing countries is a crucial challenge. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of discharges from the slaughterhouse Etoudi on physico-chemical and bacteriological water quality of the Ako'o. This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase (preliminary) in April 2022, during which a prospecting along the rivers and its watershed was performed. The second phase extended from May to October 2022, was dedicated in the collection of hydrological data, samples of water samples and bacteriological at each station coupled to the data analysis. This wastewater were collected from different stations, stored in refrigerated cooler and brought back to the laboratory for monitoring physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters according to standard protocols. The results show the effluent discharges from the slaughterhouse Etoudi exhibit high levels of pollution physicochemical (CND, MES, NO₃, NH₄⁺, PO₄^3ˉ, COD and BOD 5) and bacteriological (CF and SF) in the receiving environment having a negative impact on the watercourse Ako'o. negative impacts were increased to 90% by the dunghill faeces oxen or invading the rights of way areas. Existing gutters are littered with faeces of any kind and are not priests. Which causes recurring floods during the rainy season, the proliferation of insects and rodents and the emanation of foul odors and the persistence of certain diseases such as malaria typhoid fever, dysentery etc. this wastewater join the River Ako'o. This constitutes a major source of environmental pollution in general and rivers of waters Ako'o in particular. The positive impacts threshold is the use of cattle feces for farming populations who find themselves in different fields. Effluent discharges from the slaughterhouse Etoudi present an environmental and health risk because of high concentrations of physicochemical and bacteriological pollutants. A treatment system is needed to ensure environmental and health safety.