Esxon Publishers Seasonal Variation of Microbial Population and Heavy Metal Characteristics of Dumpsite Soil in Ado Ekiti City in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to investigate the microbial and physicochemical indices of dumpsite soil in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. Results show that mean counts for THB and THF of the soil were higher in the wet season than in the dry season. THB showed bacterial counts ranged from 1.52x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 1.76x10 4 cfu/ml/g in wet season and from 1.44x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 1.71x10 4 cfu/ml/g in dry season while THF showed fungi counts ranged from 0.84x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 1.16x10 4 cfu/ml/g in dry season and from 1.21x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 2.08x10 4 cfu/ml/g in wet season. The HUB populations ranged from 0.96x104 cfu/ml/g to 1.71x10 4 cfu/ml/g in wet season and from 0.94x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 1.08x10 4 cfu/ml/g in dry season while HUF showed fungi counts ranged from 0.41x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 0.81x10 4 cfu/ml/g in dry season and from 0.72x10 4 cfu/ml/g to 1.70x10 4 cfu/ml/g in wet season. The physicochemical qualities of the soil in the wet and dry seasons show values for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr, Zn, Co and Pb to be higher than normal levels of a typical agricultural soil. Apart from the HUB, and HUF the highest counts also observed for THB and THF confirm that hydrocarbon pollution enrich hydrocarbon utilizers, also for additional populations that utilize the byproducts as sources of nutrients.