Effects of Seasonal Variations on Microorganisms on Paint-Polluted Soil in Nigeria

Abstract

Adverse impacts of paints effluents from industries improperly disposed into the environment caused pollution, a lot of carcinogenic, mutagenic, physiological alterations resulting in debilitating health effects on humans. The study was aimed at the effects of seasonal variations on soil microorganisms’ dominant at paint effluent disposal sites in lagos. A total of one hundred soil samples each were collected at different seasons of the disposal sites of two paint companies and analysed using standard microbiological methods. Results obtained shows paint effluents caused a significant decrease (p≤0.05) in the population of the microbial groups studied in the different seasons. Total heterotrophic bacterial population decreased from 7.7x108±0.19 to 6.4x107±0.01 in the dry season, and 5.3x108±0.08 to 6.5x107±0.15 during the rainy season. A total of eleven bacterial and eight fungal genera were identified. The identified bacterial genera included Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Serratia, Arthrobacter., Aeromonas, Citrobacter, Alcaligenes, Flavobacterium, and Enterobacter. The fungal genera included Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Mucor, Rhodotorula, Cladosporium, Trichophyton, and Geotricum. The most predominant bacteria and fungi were Bacillus (30.0%) and Pseudomonas (16,7%) species and Aspergillus (38.5%) species respectively. This study has confirmed the presence of different microbial species associated with acrylic paint-impacted sites. It, therefore, suggests that improvement of antimicrobial additives of paints may be a promising approach to reduce contamination.