PHYSIOCHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF STORED WATER IN THREE HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT

Water is needed for survival by all living thing, it is a universal solvent. The research was carried out to evaluate the physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of stored water in some hospitals in Benin City. Standard physicochemical and bacteriological methods were used to enumerate the total bacterial counts. The bacterial isolates were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical methods and sugar fermentation test. The percentage distribution and frequency of the isolates were evaluated using statistical method. pH of water samples, the recorded values ranged from 5.59 to 6.70 where the value falls within the WHO maximum permissible limits (6.5–8.5). The highest recorded temperature in water storage tanks was 37 °C which exceeds the WHO permissible limit of drinking water guidelines (15 °C). , electronic conductivity ranged at 8-15, turbidity of the water was at 0.3 to 0.5, phosphate was at 0.19 to 0.25 while nitrate was 1.4 to 2.05. The results showed that the enumeration of microbial population (bacteria ) ranged from 3.3024 log10 cfu/ml to 3.50051 log10 cfu/ml, while those coliform ranges from 2.977 to 3.1461 log10 cfu/ml. Using the cultural, morphological and biochemical test, the isolates obtained in this study include, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Citrobacter and Enterobacter sp. Isolates showed positive pathogenic characteristics by degrading DNase and also a positive hemolysis result. The antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that isolates were multiple resistance isolates. This isolates were resistant to erytomycin, collistin. Clindamycin, methronidazole and tetracyclin but were susceptible to gentamycin and ciprofloxacin.