Microbial Load and Heavy Metals Properties of Leachates from Solid Wastes Dumpsites in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Waste management is a challenge to sustainable development. In Nigeria most wastes are discharged into the environment with little or no treatment. Due to activities of microbes, some of these wastes undergo degradation releasing leachates. The study assessed the microbial population and heavy metals characteristics of leachate from solid waste dumpsites aligning water bodies in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Analyses were carried out following standard procedure. Microbial population results showed that Total heterotrophic bacteria, total fungi, total coliform and faecal coliform ranged from 8.23 – 10.79 Log cfu/ml, 6.25 – 8.64 Log cfu/ml, 2.42 – 2.66 Log MPN/100 ml, and 1.97 – 2.34 Log MPN/100 ml respectively, while the heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Hg, Fe, Pb and Zn ranged from 0.00 – 0.17 mg/l, 0.00 – 0.46mg/l, 0.00 – 0.70mg/l, 0.20 – 0.60mg/l, 0.00 – 0.27 mg/l, 0.20 – 8.41mg/l, 0.27 – 2.77 mg/l and 0.00 – 4.10 mg/l respectively. The heavy metals are in the order Fe>Pb>Zn>Mn>Cu>Cr>Hg>Cd. Analysis of variance showed that there were significance difference (P<0.05) in the microbial populations, and heavy metals apart from Cadmium and Zinc. The levels of contamination amongst the leachates indicated that continuous and precarious dumping of solid waste in areas aligning the coastal areas of the Niger Delta should be discouraged due to their associated health impacts