ABSTRACT
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a crucial aspect of environmental health, particularly in high-density living environments such as university hostels. This study was aimed at assessing the microbiological air quality in male and female hostels at Wellspring University, Benin City. The study conducted in eight hostels at Wellspring University. Air samples were collected from both male and female hostels using the settle plate methods. Four rooms per hostel were randomly selected. Culturable microorganisms were sampled by exposing prepared nutrient agar and macconkey agar plates to air for
10 minutes and immediately transported to the laboratory for microbiological analysis. Distinctive colonies were subcultured and subjected to biochemical tests and microscopy for identification according to standard microbiological methods. Air sampler was disinfected and indoor air quality monitoring was conducted. Critical pollutants investigated included particulate matters, total volatile organic compounds, humidity, and temperature. The antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) was used to determine the sensitivity of isolated bacteria to various antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer test on Mueller-Hinton agar plates. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was determined for each isolate. Ethical considerations were followed. Favour (
M4) and Grace (F2) hostels had the highest bacterial count ((78 CFU/m³)) while Joy hostel had the lowest (1 CFU/m³). The most prevalent bacteria across hostels were Staphylococcus aureus (27.39 %), followed by Escherichia coli (22.82 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.12 %), Enterococcus faecalis (17.66 %), while Bacillus subtilis (12.01 %) was the least prevalent. Staphylococcus aureus was resistant to ofloxacin but sensitive to other antibiotics. Bacillus subtilis was resistant to 5 out of 12 antibiotics. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited resistance to some antibiotics but were sensitive to others. The MAR index indicated low risk for Staphylococcus aureus, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia
coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Enterococcus faecalis had high-risk levels. Air quality parameters at Goodnews hostel, Divine hostel, Flat 8 hostel, and Favour hostel showed high levels of PM2.5, PM10, and TVOC, all exceeding WHO limits. Temperature and humidity were slightly above recommended limits, with the overall air quality remaining generally within WHO guidelines. The study revealed significant differences in bacterial burden between male and female hostels
, highlighting hygiene and contamination issues in communal living spaces, necessitating further investigation and effective cleaning and ventilation protocols.
