Physicochemical and Bacteriological Assessment of Tannery Effluent from Samaru - Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Physicochemical and bacteriological assessment of tannery effluent from Samaru -Zaria was carried out. A total of six (6) tannery effluent samples (from site A- point of discharge, site B- 20m from point of discharge, site C- 40m from point of discharge, site D- 60m from point of discharge, site E- 80m from point of discharge and site F- 100m from point of discharge) were collected from the Nigerian Leather and Science Technology, Samaru - Zaria, Kaduna State in sterile labeled screw capped bottles. Physicochemical and bacteriological analysis was carried out using standard techniques. The physicochemical analysis revealed the appearance of the effluent to be dark-brown with unpleasant odour. the effluent further revealed the presence and at different concentrations of total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, nitrite, nitrate, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, phosphate, cadmium, zinc and copper, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), oil and grease all in mg/L except pH. Bacillus sp had percentage occurrence of 100%, Pseudomonas sp had 83.3%, Flavobacterium, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus sp had 66.7% each, Proteus and Klebsiella sp had 50.0% occurrence each, Streptococcus had 33.3% while Escherichia coli had the least percentage of occurrence of 16.7 from the samples of the tannery effluent analyzed respectively. The highest viable count was observed from site F which is 100m away from the point of discharge and had 4.09 x 107 cfu/ml and the lowest from site A (point of discharge) with 1.2 x 107cfu/ml. The treatment of tannery effluents before discharge into the environment is necessary using biotreatment. This will reduce or eliminate environmental pollutions which could be detrimental to humans, animals and plants.Keywords: Physicochemical, bacteria, COD, BOD, effluen

Efficacy of Sakacin on Selected Food Pathogenic Microorganisms Isolated from Fermented Milk Products

The efficacy of sakacin on selected food pathogenic microorganisms isolated from fermented milk products  was investigated. The L .sake was isolated using the pour plate technique and was characterized based on it colony, cell morphology and some biochemical tests. This isolate was identified using standard scheme. The L .sake FCF 33 was propagated in De Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) broth for bacteriocin (sakacin) production. The sakacin had inhibitory effects on all test microorganisms (ranging from +5mm to +6mm) except Shigella dysenteriae N11, Salmonella typhimurium N8, Klebsiella ozaenae W24 and Proteus mirabilisN16a). Bacteriocins are antimicrobial substances of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have gained tremendous attention as potential bio preservatives in the food and dairy industries. The LAB can serve as probiotics, which are products aimed at delivering living, potentially beneficial bacterial cells to the gut ecosystem of humans and other animals. © JASEMKeywords: Inhibition, sakacin, De Man Rogosa Sharpe, broth, morpholog

Physicochemical and Bacteriological Assessment of Tannery Effluent from Samaru - Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Physicochemical and bacteriological assessment of tannery effluent from Samaru -Zaria was carried out. A total of six (6) tannery effluent samples (from site A- point of discharge, site B- 20m from point of discharge, site C- 40m from point of discharge, site D- 60m from point of discharge, site E- 80m from point of discharge and site F- 100m from point of discharge) were collected from the Nigerian Leather and Science Technology, Samaru - Zaria, Kaduna State in sterile labeled screw capped bottles. Physicochemical and bacteriological analysis was carried out using standard techniques. The physicochemical analysis revealed the appearance of the effluent to be dark-brown with unpleasant odour. the effluent further revealed the presence and at different concentrations of total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, nitrite, nitrate, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, phosphate, cadmium, zinc and copper, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), oil and grease all in mg/L except pH. Bacillus sp had percentage occurrence of 100%, Pseudomonas sp had 83.3%, Flavobacterium, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus sp had 66.7% each, Proteus and Klebsiella sp had 50.0% occurrence each, Streptococcus had 33.3% while Escherichia coli had the least percentage of occurrence of 16.7 from the samples of the tannery effluent analyzed respectively. The highest viable count was observed from site F which is 100m away from the point of discharge and had 4.09 x 107 cfu/ml and the lowest from site A (point of discharge) with 1.2 x 107cfu/ml. The treatment of tannery effluents before discharge into the environment is necessary using biotreatment. This will reduce or eliminate environmental pollutions which could be detrimental to humans, animals and plants.Keywords: Physicochemical, bacteria, COD, BOD, effluen

Microorganisms Associated with Corrosion of Water Pipelines in Minna, Niger State

Micro organisms associated with corrosion of water pipelines in Barkin-Sale, Bosso, Chanchaga, Keteren-Gwari, Maikunkele and Kwangila areas of Minna metropolis in Niger State of Nigeria were isolated. Corroded water pipes and soil samples were analysed for microbiological and  physicochemical properties between the months of February and July, 2008. Bacteria isolated were Desulfovibrio desulfuricans,  Desulfotomaculum nigrificans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, Lactobacilluslactis, Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus var mycoides, B. subtilis, B. cereus and Staphylococcus aureus while fungi isolated were Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Penicillium notatum, Candida tropicalis, Mucor mucedo, Torulopsis candida, Geotrichum candidum and Fusarium solani The bacterium most frequently isolated wasD. desulfuricans (56.67%) while the fungus with the highest occurrence was A. niger (25.00%). The mean total aerobic bacterial counts ranged from 3.50x103cfu/g to 7.16x104cfu/g, mean total anaerobic bacterial counts ranged from 5.59x104cfu/g to 7.69x106cfu/g and the mean total fungal count ranged from 3.0x103 cfu/g to 5.63x105cfu/g. From the data, there were significant differences (p<0.05) between the mean total aerobic bacterial counts, anaerobic bacterial counts and fungal counts in the various locations.Key Words: Microorganisms, water pipes, corrosion, soil samples, microbiological and physicochemical propertie

Maternal and neonatal outcomes after caesarean delivery in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: a 7-day prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in Africa, but few large, prospective studies have been done to investigate the risk factors associated with these poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A 7-day, international, prospective, observational cohort study was done in patients having caesarean delivery in 183 hospitals across 22 countries in Africa. The inclusion criteria were all consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to participating centres having elective and non-elective caesarean delivery during the 7-day study cohort period. To ensure a representative sample, each hospital had to provide data for 90% of the eligible patients during the recruitment week. The primary outcome was in-hospital maternal mortality and complications, which were assessed by local investigators. The study was registered on the South African National Health Research Database, number KZ_2015RP7_22, and on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03044899. FINDINGS: Between February, 2016, and May, 2016, 3792 patients were recruited from hospitals across Africa. 3685 were included in the postoperative complications analysis (107 missing data) and 3684 were included in the maternal mortality analysis (108 missing data). These hospitals had a combined number of specialist surgeons, obstetricians, and anaesthetists totalling 0·7 per 100 000 population (IQR 0·2-2·0). Maternal mortality was 20 (0·5%) of 3684 patients (95% CI 0·3-0·8). Complications occurred in 633 (17·4%) of 3636 mothers (16·2-18·6), which were predominantly severe intraoperative and postoperative bleeding (136 [3·8%] of 3612 mothers). Maternal mortality was independently associated with a preoperative presentation of placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured uterus, antepartum haemorrhage (odds ratio 4·47 [95% CI 1·46-13·65]), and perioperative severe obstetric haemorrhage (5·87 [1·99-17·34]) or anaesthesia complications (11·47 (1·20-109·20]). Neonatal mortality was 153 (4·4%) of 3506 infants (95% CI 3·7-5·0). INTERPRETATION: Maternal mortality after caesarean delivery in Africa is 50 times higher than that of high-income countries and is driven by peripartum haemorrhage and anaesthesia complications. Neonatal mortality is double the global average. Early identification and appropriate management of mothers at risk of peripartum haemorrhage might improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Africa. FUNDING: Medical Research Council of South Africa.Medical Research Council of South Africa