Microbial and physico-chemical analyses of soil receiving cassava mill waste water in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

K.M Ukaegbu-Obi,P.C Itaman,O.V Itaman,O.G Appeh

doi:10.4314/njb.v35i2.13

Abstract

The microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of soil receiving cassava mill waste water in five different cassava processing mill sites in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria, were assessed. The mean bacterial counts of the assessed soil ranged from 3.72±4.51×10 5 cfu/g to 5.77±6.11 ×10 5 cfu/g for contaminated soil and 6.10±4.36×10 5 cfu/g to 8.79±4.51×10 5 cfu/g for pristine soil. The mean fungal counts ranged from 6.67±1.16×10 3 cfu/g to 11.00±1.00×10 3 cfu/g for the contaminated soil and 11.00±0.21×10 3 cfu/g to 17.33±1.01 x10 3 cfu/g for the pristine soil. The microorganisms isolated include; Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli , Enterobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas spp., Streptococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp., Penicillium spp., yeast, Mucor spp. and Fusarium spp. The physicochemical parameters assessed had different ranges for the contaminated soil samples and the control. The study thus reveals that the cassava mill effluent has some deleterious effects on soil structure, soil microbiota, and soil quality, and hence recommends that appropriate measures be put in place to enforce and regulate the treatment of such effluents prior to discharge to receiving soil and/or water bodies. Keywords: Microbial, Physicochemical, analyses, soil, cassava, waste water

Highlights

Environmental pollution is considered to be one of the most dangerous hazards affecting both developing and developed countries
The study reveals that the cassava mill effluent has some deleterious effects on soil structure, soil microbiota, and soil quality, and recommends that appropriate measures be put in place to enforce and regulate the treatment of such effluents prior to discharge to receiving soil and/or water bodies
The results of the microbial counts in the pristine soil samples were higher than that obtained from the contaminated soil samples, suggesting that the cassava waste water has some negative effects on the microbial diversity of the polluted soil

Summary

Introduction

Environmental pollution is considered to be one of the most dangerous hazards affecting both developing and developed countries. Abstract The microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of soil receiving cassava mill waste water in five different cassava processing mill sites in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria, were assessed. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of cassava mill waste water on soil in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria while analysing its physico-chemical parameters and microbiological characteristics.

Results

Conclusion