World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) - University of Port Harcourt
Doi
Abstract
The effect of pollution on Vibrio spp. in five sampling stations
along Woji River in Port Harcourt was studied in the months of April
and November 2010. Vibrio vulnificus , V. parahaemolyticus and
Vibrio alginolyticus were isolated. The Plate count technique on
Thiosulphate Citrate Bile Salt agar revealed a high population density
of vibrios in the sampling stations than the Most Probable Number (MPN)
technique. The average population density of vibrios ranged from
21MPN/100ml at Oginigba (station 1) to 1100MPN/100ml at Trans Amadi by
slaughter (station 3) in April and 43MPN/100ml to 1100MPN/100ml in
November respectively compared to plate counts that ranged from 2.2 x
105cfu/100ml to 1.6 x 108cfu/100ml in April and 3.2 x 105cfu/100ml to
2.6 x 108cfu/100ml in November respectively. The percentage proportion
of Vibrio spp. to other heterotrophic bacteria ranged from 0.01 to
5.44% in April and 0.03 to 9.96% in November. The concentration of
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Calcium, Magnesium, Hardness and chloride
were much higher than the DPR/WHO limits and were not related to
increase in presence of vibrios or their relative densities except for
total dissolved solids. However, heterotrophic counts were high
irrespective of the sampling station. There is therefore an urgent need
to curtail the continued negative anthropogenic activities along the
river course