Comprehensive Microbial and Physicochemical Assessment of Wastewater from Joseph Ayo Babalola University Cafeteria, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The increasing student population at Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) has resulted in significant wastewater discharge, which may harm local ecosystems. Despite the growing volume of effluent, little attention has been paid to its microbial and physicochemical characteristics. This study investigated the microbial and physicochemical properties of wastewater from the university cafeteria. The bacterial isolates identified included Aeromonas spp., Alcaligenes spp., Bacillus subtilis, Citrobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella spp., and Micrococcus luteus. The fungal isolates identified were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium italicum. The bacterial count (98.3 ± 7.09 cfu/ml) was higher than the fungal count (51.33 ± 4.16 cfu/ml). Physicochemical analysis revealed a temperature of 27 ± 0°C, colour of 18.83 ± 0.29 Pt/Co, turbidity of 8.5 ± 0 NTU, and conductivity of 39 ± 0 NTU. The highest values were recorded for total hardness (990 ± 0.3 mg/l), total solids (154 ± 0.3 mg/l), and total soluble solids (72.5 ± 2 mg/l), whereas dissolved oxygen (3.4 ± 0.05 mg/l) and total acidity (6.01 ± 0.5 mg/l) were the lowest. Among minerals, iron (1.75 ± 0.02 mg/l), zinc (0.45 ± 0.06 mg/l), and nickel (0.18 ± 0.019 mg/l) had the highest concentrations. The elevated microbial counts and certain physicochemical and mineral parameters pose potential health risks to the university community. The study recommends that the university implement monitoring strategies and proper wastewater treatment before effluent is discharged into the environment to prevent public and environmental health hazards.