ABSTARCT

 The changes that occur during fermentation could either be deleterious (producing toxins) or beneficial (producing food products with superior or distinct attributes).This study determined the effect of processed fermented Zea mays effluent on the bacterial diversity of soil receiving the effluent. Micro flora of soil receiving effluent such as bacteria populations were enumerated by taking Igm ofsoil and serially diluted up to IO'10 with sterilized distilled water. Diluted suspensions of 0.1ml samples were plated over Nutrient Agar Medium, MacConkey Agar Medium, Manitol Salt Agar medium and De Man Rogosa Sharpe Agar. The bacterial species isolated include Escherichia coli, Bacillus cercus, Micrococcus luteus, Lactohacilllus plantarum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The total bacterial counts recorded in this study revealed that the soil samples had Total heterotrophic plate count (THPC) ranges from 1.0 xlO6 cfu/g to 5.8 xlO8 cfu/g, while the Total coliform plate count (TCPC) which ranges from 5.8 xlO’ cfu/g to TNC. Among the various effluent and non effluent soil investigate for microbial contamination, the maize effluent soil sample cultured on MacConkey Agar had too numerous bacterial counts when compared to the non effluent soil sample (control) cultured on De Man Rogosa and Sharpe agar which recorded the least bacterial counts at 1.0 xlO6 (cfu/g). From the findings in this study, it was observed that Escherichia coli was the most frequently occurring isolates with a percentage occurrence of 9(39.1%), while among the Maize effluent and non effluent soil samples investigated for bacterial contaminants, MacES-5A had the highest number of bacterial isolates at 7(30.4%), followed by NaNES-8A 6(26.50%), while least was recorded for MrsES-5B at 2(8.7%). Based on findings from this research work, it has been shown that the maize effluent is responsible for the contamination of soil within its vicinity. Conclusively, the results of the present study reveal that the maize mill effluent has impacts on the microbial diversity ofthe receiving soil. This is indicated by the significant increase observed in the microbial density of the maize effluent soil. It has impacted negatively on total aerobic bacterial counts. This calls for serious rehabilitation, if such soil will be used for agriculture and other purposes as the necessary factors for soil health are negatively affected.