Dump Yard: A Niche for Microorganisms

Study of microbial diversity is important to understand the microbial ecology and their impact on human and other living beings in the ecosystem. In this study an attempt is made on how the solid waste is becoming breeding ground for the microorganisms thereby causing unpleasant atmosphere to the living beings. Physical properties of the soils pH, soil temperature and soil moisture is recorded and correlated with the microorganism inhabiting the wastes. The mean pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.7, average temperature was from 250C to 28 0C for both non-dumping and dumping sites and percentage of soil moisture was 1% to 2%.Total bacterial counts in dumpsites were 2.62x106cfu/g, 2.25x106 cfu/g,2.85x106cfu/g, 3.01x106cfu/g and non-dumpsites were 1.28x106cfu/g,1.25x106 cfu/g, 2.85x106, 2.42x106cfu/g, The total fungal counts in the dump sites5.21x103cfu/g, 4.64x103cfu/g, 2.84x103cfu/g, 4.42x103cfu/g and non-dump sites were3.68x103 cfu/g, 2.22x103 cfu/g, 3.21x103 cfu/g, 2.82x103cfu/g. Some of the bacterial species isolated were Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Micrococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp.and Staphylococcus spp. Dominant fungal species were Aspergillus niger, A, fumigatus , A. flavus,, A. candidus, Chaetomium spp., Fusarium spp., Phoma spp., Mucor spp., and Yeast.