Evaluation of the Level of air Microbial Contamination in some Teaching Hospitals Waste Dump Site In South-Eastern Nigeria.

Abstract

The level of air microbial contamination in some teaching hospitals waste dump site in South Eastern Nigeria was evaluated using the standard microbiological techniques. Passive air sampling was performed using settle plates. The microbial load of the air around the hospitals waste dumpsite, showed high microbial load when compared with the control sample. The total microbial count of the air samples of some of the teaching hospitals waste dump site in South-Eastern Nigeria revealed that the total viable count (TVC) ranged from 24 ± 0.71 (E) to 182 ± 0.5 (A), the total coliform count (TCC) ranged from 5 ± 0.001 (E) to 23 ± 0.3 (C), the total staphylococcal count ranged from 2 ± 0.001 (E) to 9 ± 0.1 (D) while the total fungal count ranged from 16 ± 0.1to 62 ± 0.3. The variations in microbial count of the air samples of some of the teaching hospitals waste dump site in South-Eastern Nigeria differed significantly (P<0.05) when compared with the controls. The bacteria isolated from the various teaching hospital samples and the controls include, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Neisseria species, Klebsiella aerogenes, Bacillus species and Enterobacter species. The fungi isolated from the various teaching hospital samples and the controls include, Trichophyton rubrum, Aspergillus flavus, Candida utilis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhizopus spp., Penicillium spp., Microsporium distortum. The susceptibility profile of the bacterial isolates from the air samples of the hospital wastes dump-site, this revealed that Ciprofloxacin and Augumentin produced the highest inhibition of 100% against all the bacterial isolates. Gentamycin was sensitive against Klebsiella spp, Proteus mirabilis and marked resistance was recorded against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus spp. All isolates tested against Chloramphenicol showed resistance except to Salmonella spp. The high microbial load densities suggests that hospital wastes have negative influence on the air microbiology of the environment, which therefore calls for an urgent need to raise awareness and education on hospital waste issues. Proper waste management strategy is needed to ensure health and environmental safety.

Keywords: Hospital, Air, Microorganisms and Antibiotics