Microbiological Assessment of Indoor Air in Public Toilets across Selected Motor Parks in Owerri Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

In this study, the microbial quality of indoor air in public toilets across selected motor parks in Owerri was carried out and the type of airborne microbes in the various toilets identified. Public toilets located in four motor parks in the city were examined for air borne microbial load. The sedimentation technique using open petri-dishes containing Blood Agar and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) placed one meter above the floor of the toilets for 15 minutes at different sections of the toilets was used. This was transported to a microbiology laboratory in a clean container for analysis. Bacterial isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques which include cultural, morphological, microscopic examination and different biochemical tests. While fungal isolates were identified using standard procedures based on colony appearance, microscopic examination of spores and hyphal characteristics of lactophenol cotton blue preparation. Six bacterial and fungal isolates were obtained respectively which include Staphylococcus aureus (38), Bacillus sp (24), Bacillus cereus (19), Staphylococcus epidermidis (10), Streptococcus sp (4), Enterococcus sp (2) and Fusarium sp (15), Mucor sp (13), Aspergillus sp (10), Candida sp (8), Rhizopus sp (8) and Penicillium sp (3), in which the Imo transport company Motor park (ITC) toilets had the highest bacterial and fungal occurrence of 30.9% and 31.6% respectively. Bacterial colony count ranged from 83.3cfu/m 3 in ITC Motor Park to 63.5cfu/m 3 in Mbaise Motor Park. While the fungal colony count ranged from 33.4cfu/m 3 in ITC Motor Park to 20.5cfu/ m 3 in Arugo Motor Park. The inevitable inhalation and contact with some of these microbes by visitors and drivers in these motor parks could pose a serious health threat especially among highly sensitive individuals. Therefore, necessary steps should be taken by the management of these motor parks to forestall undesirable consequences.