Physicochemical and Bacteriological Evaluation of Ogbete Market Enugu Abattoir Effluents and the Receiving Water Bodies

The prevalence of water borne diseases is on the increase in Nigeria especially in Enugu state due to the apparent lack of portable water resulting to high mortality rate among the populace and the government`s apathetic response to these realities is even much more demoralizing. Bacteriological properties of Ogbete market abattoir wastewater and water bodies receiving the effluents were investigated using the multipletube most probable number (MPN) fermentation method. The results of physicochemical analysis showed high levels of BOD and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations which is an indication of high organic load in the effluents. The major bacterial isolates based on cultural and molecular analyses were Streptococcus fecaelis, Escherichia coli and Geobacillus stearothermophillus. The total Bacterial coliform count (TC) in abattoir effluents ranged from 4.8 × 106 upstream to 5.8 × 105/100 mL downstream, 8.2 × 104 to 3.2 × 104/100 mL of Fecal coliform (FC), 5.2 × 104 to 2.0 × 104/100 mL of Fecal streptococcus(FS) and 1.2 × 104 to 2.0 × 103/100 mL of Escherichia coli for abattoir effluents. The receiving water bodies had 6.2× 103 to 1.4 × 103/100 mL of TC, 2.6 × 103 to 2.2 × 102/100 mL of FC, 1.2 × 103 to 1.2 × 102/100 mL of F. streptococcus, and 4.8 × 103 to 6.6 × 102/100 mL of E. coli downstream. The total bacterial count (TC) for abattoir effluents exceeded the recommended limit for discharge into water bodies in Nigeria. The results of the studies showed that there was no significant difference (p < 0. 0 5) between bacterial counts of abattoir effluents upstream and the receiving water bodies downstream, an indication of heavy pollution of receiving water bodies by abattoir effluents and possible public and environmental health hazard implications.