Microbiological and Physicochemical Characteristics of Effluents from Cocoa Processing Industry, Ile-Oluji, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the microbiological and physicochemical properties; and heavy metal content; of effluent from the Cocoa Processing Industry, Ile-Oluji, Nigeria. Effluent samples from the reservoir (sample A) and discharge point (sample B) were aseptically taken and analysed for microbial properties, pH, conductivities (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS) and heavy metal contents using standard methods. The data generated were subjected to Analysis of Variance and significance accepted at p<0.05. The probable organisms isolated from the two effluent samples and their percentages of occurrence were Escherichia coli (25%), Salmonella spp (25%), Shigella spp (12.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (12.5%) and Proteus spp (25%). The pH, EC, TDS and TSS were 6.77 and 7.90; 3420.33 and 52019.00 mS/cm; 480.33 and 400.00 mg/L; 40.00 and 18.50 mg/L for samples A and B, respectively. The freshly discharged effluent (Sample B) was higher in all the heavy metals, except nickel, than effluents from reservoir (sample A). The results from this study suggested that the effluents from the industry should be adequately treated before being discharged into the environment to forestall outbreak of diseases and heavy metal poisoning.