Isolation and Identification of Microorganisms from Domestic Effluent in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The isolation and identification of the microorganisms from domestic effluent in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike were carried out. The mean total aerobic heterotrophic plate count ranged from 6.10 ± 0.01Log₁₀cfu/mL to 6.29 ± 0.09Log₁₀cfu/mL, Salmonella count ranged from 2.63 ± 0.14Log₁₀cfu/mL to 2.93 ± 0.16Log₁₀cfu/mL, Escherichia coli count ranged from 3.63 ± 0.14Log₁₀cfu/mL to 3.93 ± 0.20Log₁₀cfu/mL, Vibrio cholerae ranged from 1.54 ± 0.10Log₁₀cfu/mL to 1.87 ± 0.20Log₁₀cfu/mL and fungal count ranged from 3.48 ± 0.33Log₁₀cfu/mL to 3.88 ± 0.07Log₁₀cfu/mL while the coliform count ranged from 35 ± 2.0MPN/100mL to 160 ± 5.0MPN/100mL. The microorganisms isolated and their percentage occurrence were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species, Klebsiella species, Vibrio cholerae Aspergillus species, Rhizopus species, Penicillium species, and Trichoderma species. The results showed that the effluent samples were heavily contaminated with known pathogenic microorganisms and should therefore be treated before discharge.

Keywords: contaminated, pathogenic, heterotrophic, effluents, domestic, identification, microorganisms, Umudike