PHYSIOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER USED IN PROCESSING MEAT IN ABATTOIR BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of water quality used in abattoir is important because water in abattoir are used in various ways like for drinking, bathing after work, and washing meat and slaughtering equipment. This study assessed the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the water used in ten different private and public abattoirs in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The samples were evaluated for physicochemical parameters and microbiological properties using an Atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) and cultural techniques respectively. The range of physicochemical value range observed range were pH (3.73±0.1 - 5.80±0.2), electrical conductivity (29±0.4 µs/cm - 517±0.7 µs/cm), total dissolved solids (14±0.1 mg/L - 258±0.6 mg/L), salinity concentration (0.0±0.0% - 0.02±0.0%), temperature (26.2±0.4 ℃ - 26.4±0.1 ℃), nitrate content (1.09±0.1 mg/L - 1.55±0.3 mg/L) and phosphate content (0.66±0.2 mg/L - 1.56±0.2 mg/L). Other values observed was chloride content (8.16±1.2 mg/L - 16.67±0.6 mg/L), iron content (0.10±0.03 mg/L - 0.37±0.1 mg/L) and zinc content (0.01±0.00 mg/L - 0.03±0.00 mg/L). The lead content in all samples were 0.0±0.0 mg/L and the cadmium content observed were 0.0±0.0 mg/L in all samples. The mean total heterotrophic bacterial counts of abattoir water samples range from 25±1.7 - 280±3.7 CFU/mL × 107 . The mean Escherichia coli count in abattoir water samples range from 0.0±0.0 - 16±0.3 CFU/mL × 101 . The detection of Escherichia coli in the water samples is worrisome, as the water may result in diarrhea disease to the abattoir workers, it could also contaminate the meat which could lead to disease outbreak. There is need for proper treatment of water used in abattoir to circumvent the potential health risk.