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ABSTRACT
The microbiological and physicochemical properties of leachate samples collected from two (2) solid waste dumpsites located in Benin City was evaluated. The selected dump sites were; The Edo State Government managed open municipal waste dumpsite and a municipal market sited within the City. The effect of leachate concentrations on the germination and phytochemical composition of Zea mays seeds was also investigated. Several procedures such as serial dilution and pour plate procedures were utilized in the determination of the microbial profile of the respective leachate samples. Physicochemical methods which included the utilization of relevant meters and equipment such as atomic absorbance spectrophotometer were utilized. Several leachate concentrates; 100%, 50% and sterile distilled water control were used in the experiment. The mean heterotrophic bacterial count for the leachate samples A and B was 2.8 ×105 cfu/ml ± 28284 and 1.2 × 105 cfu/ml ± 0. Three (3) bacterial and fungal isolates were characterized; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa Enterobacter aerogenes, Saccharomyces sp., Fusarium sp. and Mucor sp.The mean pH values for the leachate samples A and B were 5.624 ± 0.017 and 5.637 ± 0.0083. The mean radicle length of Z. mays seedlings exposed to leachate A concentrations; A100 and A50 varied from 0.9 mm ± 0.5 to 15.7 mm ± 3.1 and 1.6 mm ± 0.9 to 12.9 mm ± 2.6. The percentage (%) flavonoid content of seedlings cultivated at leachate A100, A50 and A0 (control) levels were 11.29 %, 17.30 % and 10%. There is a potential for the application of dumpsite derived leachate as a liquid fertilizer supplement.
