The microbiological effects of hospital wastes on the environment

Abstract

The effect of twenty four (24) hospital wastes samples taken from different hospitals waste dumpsites on its surrounding soil was examined. The counts of microorganisms in hospital dumpsite soil include the following; aerobic heterotrophic counts from 4.2 x 105 to 1.6 x 1010, anaerobic heterotrophic counts from 1.0 x 105 to 1.6 x 109 while fungi counts from 0 to 6.9 x 106. The counts in soil adjacent to dumpsites include the following; aerobic heterotrophic counts from 1.0 x 105 to 4.0 x 109, anaerobic heterotrophic counts from 1.0 x 105 to 5.0 x 108, while fungi counts is between 0 to 1.0 x 106. Bacteria
isolated at the soil dumpsite and soil adjacent to dumpsites include, respectively, Bacillus sp. (42.86 and 45%), Micrococcus roseus (14.29 and 10%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (9.52 and 10%),
Corynebacterium equi (1.59 and 5%), Bacillus subtilis (4.76 and 5%), B. licheniformis (9.52 and 10%), and Actinomyces istraelii (3.17 and 5%). Fungi isolated include Rhizopus nigricans (27.59 and 18.52%),
Aspergillus flavus (13.79 and 3.70%), Penicillium rubrum (6.86 and 3.70%), Trichothecium roseum (0 and 3.70%), Penicillium viricadum (6.90 and 0%) Aspergillus niger (34.48 and 44.44%), Aspergillus nidulans (0 and 11.11%), Aspergillus visicolor (3.45 and 3.45%), Aspergillus parasiticus (0 and 7.41%), and Microsporum canis (6.9 and 0%). The dumpsites soil recorded higher pH value than the adjacent soil. The investigation revealed that the hospital waste dumpsites may have adverse effects on its immediate environment.