The microbiological effects of hospital wastes on the environment

Abstract

The effect of 24 hospital wastes samples taking 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 varies from 4.2 x 105 to 1.6 x 1010, the anaerobic heterotrophic counts varies from 1.0 x 105 to 1.6 x 109 while fungi counts 0 to 6.9 x 106 while the counts in soil adjacent to dumpsites include the following; aerobic heterotrophic counts varies from 1.0 x 105 to 4.0 x 109, the anaerobic heterotrophic counts varies 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 respectively include Bacillus sp (42.86; 45%), Micrococcus roseus (14.29; 10%),Staphylococcus epidermidis (9.52, 10%), Corynebacterium equi (1.59; 5%), Bacillus subtilis (4.76; 5%), B. licheniformis (9.52; 10%), Actinomyces israeli (3.17; 5%) while fungi isolated include Rhizopus nigricans (27.59; 18.52%), Aspergillus flavus (13.79; 3.70%), Penicillium rubrum (6.86; 3.70%), Trichothecium roseum (0; 3.70%), Penicillium viricadum (6.90; 0%) Aspergillus niger (34.48; 44.44%), Aspergillus nidulans (0; 11.11%), Aspergillus visicolor (3.45; 3.45%), Aspergillus parasiticus (0; 7.41%), and Microsporum canis (6.9; 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. © 2009 Academic Journals.