Assessment of Physico-chemical and Microbiological qualities of Abattoir Wastewater in Sokoto, Nigeria. -

Wastewater samples were collected from three different points in Sokoto (Nigeria) abattoir and the physico-chemical and the microbiological qualities were determined. The pH of the wastewater was near neutral in the range of 7.22-7.47. The physico-chemical parameters were biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (31.4mg/l), dissolved oxygen (DO) (85.0mg/l), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (3.20mg/l). The microorganisms identified, mostly pathogenic, included Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Neisseria lactamica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Branhamella catarrhalis, and Shigella sp, Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia sp, Trichophyton rubrum, and Penicillium echinulatum. The potential public health implications associated with discharging untreated abattoir wastewater into the environment and thus, the need for adequate treatment to ensure decontamination as well as providing wastewater treatment facility in the abattoir are discussed. Keywords : Assessment, Physicochemical, Microbiological, Abattoir, Wastewater