Microbiological and Physicochemical Characterization of Abattoir Wastewater in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

Introduction. The spread of pathogenic bacteria from food production processes has become a problem worldwide. Abattoir effluents are potential carriers of resistant pathogenic bacteria and could contribute to these strains’ global spread in the environments. This study extensively analyzed abattoir wastewater in Obio/Akpor (Nigeria), focusing on its microbiological and physicochemical aspects. Materials and Methods. 250 ml of abattoir wastewater samples were aseptically collected from each of four different abattoirs within Obio/Akpor using standard methods. The study was conducted from September 2023 to November 2023. Frequency of occurrence, percentage occurrence, charts, mean count and standard deviation of microbiological parameters were generated. Physicochemical parameters were identified using American Public Health Association (APHA) gold standard. Results. Microbiological assessments showed that the total heterotrophic bacteria count obtained ranged from 2.6 ± 0.14 × 107 to 6.5 ± 0.28 × 108 CFU/ml. E. coli count obtained ranged from 2.3 ± 0.07 × 106 to 2.6 ± 0.14 × 106 CFU/ml. The total coliform counts ranged from 2.5 ± 0.07 × 103 CFU/ml to 4.3 ± 0.07 × 108 CFU/ml. Vibrio count of 4.5 ± 0.70 × 103 CFU/ml was only recorded from Choba while fungal count was only recorded from Rumuokoro (1.1 ± 0.70 × 104 CFU/ml) and Rumuodara (2.8 ± 0.70 × 105 CFU/ml). For the physicochemical parameters, pH ranged from 5.58 to 7.05, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) ranged from 4.26 to 7.21 mg/l, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ranged from 2.01 to 4.86 mg/l, Phosphate ranged from 1.13 to 2.42 mg/l, Nitrate ranged from 4.97 to 10.27 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ranged from 13.93 to 26.25 mg/l, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) ranged from 7.06 to 15.43 mg/l and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ranged from 165.42 to 256.38 mg/l. Conclusion. The study emphasizes the diverse microbial composition and physicochemical characteristics of abattoir wastewater, highlighting environmental and public health concerns. Effective wastewater treatment pre-discharge into water bodies is vital to mitigate adverse impacts.