Impact of Abattoir Activities on the Physicochemical and Bacteriological Properties of Soil Samples from Choba Slaughter, Rivers State, Nigeria

Slaughtering and processing of animal products at abattoirs generate different waste that may be transported into the nearby water bodies through runoff and other processes. Evaluating the soil characteristics within the abattoir will provide critical information regarding the soil health, for environmental management and health care planning. The aim of the study was therefore to assess the impact of abattoir activities on soil physico-chemical and bacteriological properties. The soil sampling involved five (5) different points, representing regions where the live animals were kept, where the animals were slaughtered, where the animal hides were roasted, where the waste bones were stacked, and a control sample collected 20 meters away from the abattoir site. The result of the physicochemical parameters showed that all the sample points were either higher or lower than that of the control soil sample. Statistical analyses however showed that there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the nitrate concentration in the region used for roasting of animal hides and the control sample. The result of Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (THBC) showed that the highest value of 7.2 x 108cfu/g was obtained from the location where the animals are slaughtered, while the least value of 1.0 x 108 cfu/g was from the control soil sample. The other bacterial counts varied between 0.8x105 cfu/g and 5.0 x 106 cfu/g; 4.3 x104 cfu/g and 1.0 x105 cfu/g; 3.7x104 cfu/g and 5.6x104 cfu/g, for the Total Coliform Count (TCC), Fecal Coliform Count (FCC), Salmonella and Shigella Counts (SSC), respectively. A total of 28 bacterial isolates were characterized and identified to belong to seven genera, and their percentage prevalence showed that Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., and E. coli were the most occurring, with a frequency of 21.7% each, followed by Salmonella spp. (13.1 %), Klebsiella spp. (8.7 %), Serratia mercescens (8.7 %) and Shigella spp. (4.4 %). The result of the response of the bacterial isolates to the conventional antibiotics revealed that all the isolates where sensitive to most of the antibiotics tested. This study has shown that abattoir activities have significant influence on the bacteriological and physicochemical characteristics of the soil, thereby accentuating the need for proper waste management.