IDENTIFICATION OF AIRBORNE BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM EATERIES WITHIN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

Indoor air quality plays a vital role in the health and well-being of people as 80-90% of the total time is spent in the indoor environment. Indoor air pollution can be generated inside homes or buildings through occupant’s activities such as cooking, smoking, use of electronic machines, the use of consumer products. Harmful pollutants inside buildings include carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matters, aerosols, biological components and others. Indoor air quality refers to the air within and around buildings and structures especially as it relates to health and comfort of building occupants. Indoor air quality is a complex function of outdoor and indoor sources of pollution, environmental conditions, housing characteristics and behavioral factors. Samples were collected from eateries within the University of Benin.. Samples were collected in triplicates from the selected shops using the settled plate method. The findings of this study revealed that the bacterial counts ranged from 2.24x102 CFU/m3 to 6.21x102 CFU/m3 from sampling point 1 week 2 and week 3. The following bacteria were isolated; Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp., Proteus sp., Micrococcus sp., and Citrobacter sp. The presence of these bacterial isolates in the air enhances the chance of numerous human medical disorders developing. Bacteria are adaptable and tenacious, capable of coping with hazardous compounds such as antibiotics. With the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance, we must develop alternate strategies to tackle these diseases