Physicochemical, Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Bacteriological Profiles of Human Urine-Impacted-Soils Obtained From Iyaro Motor Park, Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Urine-impacted-soils were collected from different sampling points located within the vicinity of Iyaro Motor Park and analysed for physicochemical, aromatic hydrocarbon and bacteriological profiles. Standard analytical procedures which included serial dilution and pour plating, usage of appropriate meters, atomic absorption spectrophotometry and gas chromatography were employed in the evaluation of the bacteriological, physicochemical, heavy metal and poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) profiles of the soils. The mean heterotrophic bacterial counts recorded for the urine contaminated soils ranged from 4.2 ×10⁴ cfu/g to 6.1 ×10⁴ cfu/g. Bacillus sp., Proteus mirabilis, Micrococcus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were isolated from the soils.  All the soils were acidic and sandy. Sodium and manganese mean values ranged from 1.93 meq/100g to 3.10 meq/100g and 29.5 mg/kg to 55.7 mg/kg respectively. The mean total PAH values for the human urine contaminated soils ranged from 229.33 µg/kg to 8265.48 µg/kg whilst the control soil has a mean total PAH value of 1062.60 µg/kg. The detrimental effect on the ascetics of the edaphic area exposed to consistent human urination is reflective of the need for increased public awareness to dissuade this low esteemed human behaviour.