Effect of Port Activities on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Surface Water in Warri and Onne Port Terminals, Nigeria

Abstract

Activities around the port terminals such as cargo handling, and others has environmental implications both inside and outside the port area which may in turn pose severe risks to the environment and water resources resulting to adverse effect on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the water body. Hence this study was aimed at determination of the effect of port activities on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of surface water at Warri and Onne Port terminals. Surface water samples were collected during wet and dried season between January to June from Onne and Warri port terminals, using sterile containers and transported in an ice packed container to Department of Microbiology laboratory of the Rivers State University for microbiological and physicochemical analyse using standard methods. Statistical analyses were carried out using ANOVA and All pairs tukey-kramer. Results of the Physicochemical Characteristics of the surface water of the  dry season ranged as follows; pH (5.6±0.15 to 6.08±0.22),Temperature (27.6±4.278 to 30±1ºC),  Electric  conductivity (14168±1.90to  2138±27.871 µs/cm), Total dissolved solid  (2622±1.70 to  974.2±9.09 mg/l ),Total suspended solid (7.6±0.54 to 111±21.284 mg/l), Dissolved oxygen (2.08±0.19 to 2.68±0.31 mg/l ), Biological oxygen demand (0.78±0.19 to 1.2±0.45 mg/l ), Chemical oxygen demand (1.56±0.38 to 2.4±0.90 mg/l),Turbidity (0.2±0 to 1.36±0.336 NTU),Bromine (0.3±0.01  to 0.6±0 mg/l), Chlorine (<0.001±0 to 0.3±0 mg/l),Nitrate (0.32±0.15  to 5.98±0.74 mg/l ), Sulphate (3.32±0.75 to  694±1.9 mg/l) Phosphate (0.634±0.42 to 2.316±0.44 mg/l ), similar trends were recorded during the wet season.   There were significant differences ( P<0.05) between the wet and dry seasons. The mean values of the microbiological results ranged from 1.6±0.77 x 106 to 5.6±2.17 x 106 cfu/ml (Total heterotrophic bacterial count), 0.8 ±2.51 x 104 to 5.6±2.77 x 104 cfu/ml (Total heterotrophic Fungal count), 0.2 ±1.14 x 104 to 3.6 ±1.52 cfu/ml (Hydrocarbon utilizing Bacteria counts) 0.3 ±1.52 x 104 to 1.2 ±2.05cfu/ml (Hydrocarbon utilizing Fungal counts), 0.2±0.71x 104 to 0.6±0.89 x 104cfu/ml (Salmonella spp.). 0.4±0.55 x 104 cfu/ml (Shigella spp), 0.3 ±2.19 x 104 to 1.6±5.13 x 104 cfu/ml (Vibrio spp.) 1.6 ±14.7 x 104 to 2.1±6.39 x 104 cfu/ml Staphylococci spp), 3.9±0.81 x 104 to 4.6 ±1.79 x 104cfu/ml (total coliform), 1.8±0.44 x 104   to 2.7 ±1.03 x 104cfu/ml (feacal coliform). Higher counts were recorded during the wet season compared to dry season. In this study, nine bacteria isolates belonging to the genera and species:-  E.coli, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Bacillus sp., Shigella, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Proteus, Six fungal isolates, namely, Penicillium sp Candida sp, Mucor sp, Aspergillus, Rhizopus spp, and Yeast were obtained. The results obtained in this study Port terminal houses several companies with beehive of activities which generate various industrial wastes which causes adverse environmental effects which consequently are major atmospheric and water pollution around port terminals. Therefore, proper waste management system should be maintained to avoid emergence of virulent pathogens.