Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology

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Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment

Received: 16 January 2018    Accepted: 11 February 2018    Published: 08 March 2018
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Abstract

Dump sites are naturally associated with foul odour which obviously is product of microbial activities. The bacterial agents responsible for this decomposition may be injurious to humans. In order to determine the genera of bacteria responsible, Petri dishes containing three different types of media, nutrient, MacConkey and blood agars were exposed for fifteen minutes, and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Organisms that grew were analyzed to determine if they are pathogens. Five plates of each media were exposed, and the mean of the colony counts were expressed as colony forming units per millitre (cfu/ml). Three different dump sites were studied, namely school waste dump (SWD), Village waste dump (VWD) and Market waste dump (MWD). Results of Petri dish exposure for 15 mins showed mean cfu/ml of 300, 250 and 300 on nutrient agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. 100, 120 and 150 on MacConkey agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively then 20, 15 and 25 on blood agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. Cultural characteristics of the isolates revealed diverse shapes, margins, colours and sizes. Phenotypic characterization showed the Grain reaction, catalase, coagulase, motility, indole, oxidase tests, glucose fermentation, capsule and spore tests results of the isolates. Isolates were tentatively identified to be Listeria spp, Streptococcus spp, Escherischia spp, Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp and Micrococcus spp, by Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. Virulence test by haemolysis assay showed both Streptococcus spp and Listeria spp to be α- haemolysis negative and β-haemolysis positive. Their zones of inhibition were 2-2.5 mm and 3.0-3.5 mm for Streptococcus spp, while Listeria spp was 1.5 mm. Capsule stain was positive for Streptococcus spp and Escherischia spp. Spore stain was positive only for Bacilluis spp. These finds show that pathogenic bacteria are associated with waste dumps and therefore can be injurious to public health.

DOI 10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11
Published in Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology (Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2018)
Page(s) 41-44
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Waste Dumps, Public Health Implication, Pathogens

References
[1] Acharya, T. (2013). Bacterial Capsule: Structure, Importance and examples of capsulated bacteria.https://microbeonline.com/bacterial-capsule-structure-and-importance-and-examples-o.
[2] Al-Ghazali, M. R. and Al-Azawi, S. K. (1986). Detection and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes is a sewage treatment plant in Iraq. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 60 (3): 251–254.
[3] Barrow, J. R., Osuna-Avila, P. and Reyes-Vera, I. (2004). Fungal endophytes intrinsically associated with micropropagated plants regenerated from native Boutelona eriopoda Torr. and Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. In vitro cellular and Developmental Biology–Plant 40: 608–612.
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[5] Cheesbrough, M. (2006). District laboratory practice in tropical countries. 2nd Edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN-13: 9781139449298.
[6] Cogliati, S., Costa, J. G., Ayala, F. R., Donato, V., and Grau, R. (2016). Bacterial spore and its relatives as agents of mass destruction. Journal of bioterrorism and biodefence. 7:141. Doi: 10.4172/2157.1000141.
[7] Cruickshank, R., Duguid, J. P., Marmion, B. R. and swain, R. H. A. (1975). Medical Microbiology, 12th Ed., Living stone, London, New York, 812-825.
[8] Ebe, T. E; Mgbemena, I. C; Njoku-Tony, R. F. Pmupja. E. E., Anyanwu, J. and Edward, K. C. (2015) Bacteria associated with domestic solid waste dump in Egbu, Owerri North Local Government area in Imo State, Nigeria. Journal of environment and Earth Science. 5 (12): 73-76.
[9] Ezechi, E. H., Isa, M. H. and Kutty, S. R. M. (2015). Bacteria associated with domestic solid waste dump in Egbu, Owerri North local government area in Imo State, Nigeria. Journal of Environment and Earth Science 12 (5): 2224–3216.
[10] Granato, E. T., Harrison, Freya, Kiimmerli, R. and Ross-Gillespie, A. (2016). When is a bacterial “Virulence factor” realy virulent? bioRxiv doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1101/061317.
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[12] Menezes, E. A., Pereira, E. C., Trindade, P., Costa, M. M., Freire, C. C., Cavalcante, M. S. and Cunha, F. A. (2004). Airborne fungi isolated from Fortaleza city, state of Ceara, Brazil. Journal of the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Sao Paulo 46 (3): 133–137.
[13] Noble, R. C. and Vosti, K. L. (1971). Production of double zones of hemolysis by certain strains of hemolytic Streptococci of groups A, B, C and G on heart infusion agar. Journal of Applied Microbiology 22 (2): 171–176.
[14] Obire, O., Nwaubeta, O. and Adue, S. B. N. (2002). Microbial community of a waste dump site Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. 6 (1): 78-81.
[15] Odeyemi, A. T. (2012). Antibiogram status of bacterial isolates from air around dump site of Ekiti State destitute centre at Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Journal of Microbiology Research 2 (2): 12-18.
[16] Schoeni, J. L. and Wong, A. C. L. (2005). Bacillus cereus food poisoning and its toxins. Journal of Food Protection 68 (3): 630–648.
[17] Seng, P., Vernier, M., Gay, A., Pinelli, P. O., Legre, R. and Stein, A. (2016). Clinical features and outcome of bone and joint infections with streptococcal involvement: 5-year experience of interregional reference centres in the south of France. New Microbes and New Infections 12: 8–17.
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Author Information
  • Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Nigeria

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    Mbachu Ifeoma Adaora Chima. (2018). Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment. Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology, 4(2), 41-44. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11

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    ACS Style

    Mbachu Ifeoma Adaora Chima. Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment. Front. Environ. Microbiol. 2018, 4(2), 41-44. doi: 10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11

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    AMA Style

    Mbachu Ifeoma Adaora Chima. Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment. Front Environ Microbiol. 2018;4(2):41-44. doi: 10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11,
      author = {Mbachu Ifeoma Adaora Chima},
      title = {Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment},
      journal = {Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology},
      volume = {4},
      number = {2},
      pages = {41-44},
      doi = {10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20180402.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.fem.20180402.11},
      abstract = {Dump sites are naturally associated with foul odour which obviously is product of microbial activities. The bacterial agents responsible for this decomposition may be injurious to humans. In order to determine the genera of bacteria responsible, Petri dishes containing three different types of media, nutrient, MacConkey and blood agars were exposed for fifteen minutes, and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Organisms that grew were analyzed to determine if they are pathogens. Five plates of each media were exposed, and the mean of the colony counts were expressed as colony forming units per millitre (cfu/ml). Three different dump sites were studied, namely school waste dump (SWD), Village waste dump (VWD) and Market waste dump (MWD). Results of Petri dish exposure for 15 mins showed mean cfu/ml of 300, 250 and 300 on nutrient agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. 100, 120 and 150 on MacConkey agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively then 20, 15 and 25 on blood agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. Cultural characteristics of the isolates revealed diverse shapes, margins, colours and sizes. Phenotypic characterization showed the Grain reaction, catalase, coagulase, motility, indole, oxidase tests, glucose fermentation, capsule and spore tests results of the isolates. Isolates were tentatively identified to be Listeria spp, Streptococcus spp, Escherischia spp, Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp and Micrococcus spp, by Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. Virulence test by haemolysis assay showed both Streptococcus spp and Listeria spp to be α- haemolysis negative and β-haemolysis positive. Their zones of inhibition were 2-2.5 mm and 3.0-3.5 mm for Streptococcus spp, while Listeria spp was 1.5 mm. Capsule stain was positive for Streptococcus spp and Escherischia spp. Spore stain was positive only for Bacilluis spp. These finds show that pathogenic bacteria are associated with waste dumps and therefore can be injurious to public health.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Public Health Implications of Waste Dump to Inhabitants in the Environment
    AU  - Mbachu Ifeoma Adaora Chima
    Y1  - 2018/03/08
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    JF  - Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology
    JO  - Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology
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    AB  - Dump sites are naturally associated with foul odour which obviously is product of microbial activities. The bacterial agents responsible for this decomposition may be injurious to humans. In order to determine the genera of bacteria responsible, Petri dishes containing three different types of media, nutrient, MacConkey and blood agars were exposed for fifteen minutes, and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Organisms that grew were analyzed to determine if they are pathogens. Five plates of each media were exposed, and the mean of the colony counts were expressed as colony forming units per millitre (cfu/ml). Three different dump sites were studied, namely school waste dump (SWD), Village waste dump (VWD) and Market waste dump (MWD). Results of Petri dish exposure for 15 mins showed mean cfu/ml of 300, 250 and 300 on nutrient agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. 100, 120 and 150 on MacConkey agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively then 20, 15 and 25 on blood agar for SWD, VWD and MWD respectively. Cultural characteristics of the isolates revealed diverse shapes, margins, colours and sizes. Phenotypic characterization showed the Grain reaction, catalase, coagulase, motility, indole, oxidase tests, glucose fermentation, capsule and spore tests results of the isolates. Isolates were tentatively identified to be Listeria spp, Streptococcus spp, Escherischia spp, Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp and Micrococcus spp, by Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. Virulence test by haemolysis assay showed both Streptococcus spp and Listeria spp to be α- haemolysis negative and β-haemolysis positive. Their zones of inhibition were 2-2.5 mm and 3.0-3.5 mm for Streptococcus spp, while Listeria spp was 1.5 mm. Capsule stain was positive for Streptococcus spp and Escherischia spp. Spore stain was positive only for Bacilluis spp. These finds show that pathogenic bacteria are associated with waste dumps and therefore can be injurious to public health.
    VL  - 4
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