Impact of Solid Waste on Soil Bacterial and the Municipal Waste Management in Some Communities of Lagos Island

Abstract

The effects of solid waste on soil and soil sentinels cannot be over emphasized. On the other hand, managing municipal waste has a serious challenge. This study focused on the impact of solid waste on soil bacteria and the municipal waste management in some communities of Lagos Island which are Dolphin and Adeola Odeku Village. This study aimed at examining the present municipal waste management practices in Lagos Island and how they can be improved upon. Random sampling was used to administer 100 questionnaires to households while the different heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples were determined using Buck 200 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The wastes were mainly composed of food wastes, plastics/pet bottles and nylon. Although the majority of the respondents (65%) had waste bins/bags assigned to their houses, about 73.86% did not sort their wastes. The concentrations of the heavy metals (Co, Zn, Ni, and Mn) in the soil samples were higher in Dolphin and Adeola Odeku village compared to the control soil sample. The bacterial isolates identified from the soil samples are Corynebacterium spp., Enterobacter spp., Flavobacterium spp., Acinebacter spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Bacillus subtilis and Micricoccus leteus. SWOT analysis revealed the need to improve environmental awareness to minimize the threat of low sorting of wastes. Also, opportunities exist for recycling plastics/pet bottles and nylon while wastes from food materials could benefit agriculture through composing. This study suggests that more environmental awareness, policies, and better administration are needed to improve the status of waste management in urban communities of Lagos Island.