Effects Of Human Urine On The Microbial And Physico-Chemical Properties Of Soil

ABSTRACT

Effect of human urine on the microbial and physicochemical properties of soil was investigated. The study was carried out in Michael Okpara university of Agriculture, Umudike Abia State where four soil samples contaminated with human urine (UrCs) were randomly collected within the University Campus from places noted for indiscriminate urination by students and analyzed for microbial and physicochemical properties. One uncontaminated agricultural soil (UnCs) sample was used as control. Mean counts of microorganisms in urine contaminated soil had a high count of (8.1 x 108) for total aerobic plate, Escherichiacoli (6.6 x 107) and fungi (4.0 x 107) as compared with the control which had a lower count (3.6 x 108) for total aerobic plate, Escherchiacoli (3.5 x 107) and fungi (3.3 x 107) respectively. Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus (19.33%), Pseudomonas spp (15.13%), Klebsiella spp. (10.08%), Bacillus spp. (14.29%). The most frequently isolated fungi from UrCs included Aspergillus (44.64%), Mucor spp (17.86%), Candida (26.79%), Fusarium (10.71%). Physicochemical analysis of urine contaminated and uncontaminated soil samples showed that conductivity, moisture content, total organic carbon, nitrate ion, phosphate ion, sulphate ion and total nitrogen were higher in the urine contaminated soil than in uncontaminated soil while the pH of uncontaminated soil (4.5) was higher than the contaminated soil (4.1). The growth of maize with urine contaminated and uncontaminated soil revealed that urine enhanced the growth of maize as a result of increased microbial load and some essential elements such as Total Nitrogen, Organic carbon, Nitrate ion, Sulphate ion among others. There was significant difference between the control and the test groups for the fungi count (p>0.05) while there was no significant difference (p<0.05) between the control and test groups for E. coli count likewise for total aerobic plate count.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgements ﾿ iv

Table of Contents ﾿ v

List of Tables ﾿ viii

List of Plates ﾿ ix

List of Figures ﾿ x

Abstract ﾿ xi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 ﾿ INTRODUCTION ﾿ 1

1.0.1 ﾿ The soil microbiota ﾿ 3

1.0.2 ﾿ Storage of urine ﾿ 5

1.0.3 ﾿ Urine as a fertilizer ﾿ 5

1.0.4 ﾿ Merits of urine as a fertilizer ﾿ 6

1.0.5 ﾿ Demerits of urine as fertilizers ﾿ 6

1.0.6 ﾿ Effects of human urine on the physicochemical properties of soil ﾿ 7

1.1 ﾿ Aims and objectives of the study ﾿ 8

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 ﾿ LITERATURE REVIEW ﾿ 9

2.1 ﾿ Physical properties of soil ﾿ 10

2.1.1 ﾿ Soil pH ﾿ 10

2.1.2 ﾿ Soil colour ﾿ 11

2.1.3 ﾿ Soil texture ﾿ 12

2.1.4 ﾿ Soil structure ﾿ 12

2.1.5 ﾿ Porosity ﾿ 13

2.1.6 ﾿ Density ﾿ 13

2.2 ﾿ Chemical properties of soil ﾿ 14

2.2.1 ﾿ Soil Organic Matter ﾿ 14

2.2.2 ﾿ Soil Salinity ﾿ 14

2.2.3 ﾿ Soil temperature ﾿ 15

2.2.4 ﾿ Soil water ﾿ 15

2.3 ﾿ Physicochemical parameters of soil ﾿ 16

2.4 ﾿ Biological properties of soil ﾿ 16

2.4.1 ﾿ Soil Microflora ﾿ 16

2.4.2 ﾿ Soil Fauna ﾿ 18

2.4.3 ﾿ Actinobacteria ﾿ 18

2.4.4 ﾿ Fungi ﾿ 18

2.4.5 ﾿ Mycorrhizae ﾿ 19

2.4.6 ﾿ Earthworms, ants and termites ﾿ 20

2.4.7 ﾿ Soil Bacteria ﾿ 20

2.5 ﾿ Nitrogen cycle ﾿ 21

2.5.1 ﾿ Nitrification ﾿ 21

2.5.2 ﾿ Nitrogen fixation ﾿ 22

2.5.3 ﾿ Dentrification ﾿ 22

2.6 ﾿ Urine ﾿ 22

2.6.1 ﾿ Urine Contaminated Soil ﾿ 23

2.6.2 ﾿ Process of urine production ﾿ 23

2.6.3 ﾿ Composition of urine ﾿ 24

2.6.4 ﾿ Characteristics of Urine ﾿ 24

2.6.4.1 ﾿ Chemical analysis ﾿ 24

2.6.4.2 ﾿ Colour ﾿ 24

2.6.4.3 ﾿ Odour ﾿ 25

2.6.4.4 ﾿ Turbidty ﾿ 26

2.6.4.5 ﾿ pH ﾿ 26

2.9.4.6 ﾿ Density ﾿ 26

2.9.4.7 ﾿ Quantity/Volume ﾿ 27

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHOD

3.1 ﾿ Study area ﾿ 28

3.2 ﾿ Sample collection ﾿ 28

3.3 ﾿ Analysis of samples ﾿ 29

3.3.1 ﾿ Physicochemical analysis of soil ﾿ 29

3.3.1.1 ﾿ Sterilization method ﾿ 29

3.3.2 ﾿ Microbial Analysis ﾿ 29

3.3.2.1 ﾿ Sample inoculation ﾿ 29

3.3.2.2 ﾿ Quantitative estimation of bacterial and fungal isolates ﾿ 29

3.3.2.3 ﾿ Colony purification ﾿ 30

3.3.2.4 ﾿ Identification of bacterial isolates ﾿ 30

3.3.2.5 ﾿ Gram Staining Reaction ﾿ 30

3.3.2.6 ﾿ Spore Staining Technique ﾿ 30

3.3.2.7 ﾿ Motility Test ﾿ 31

3.3.3 ﾿ Biochemical Test ﾿ 31

3.3.3.1 ﾿ Methyl Red and Voges – Proskauer (MRVP) ﾿ 31

3.3.3.2 ﾿ Methyl Red Test ﾿ 31

3.3.3.3 ﾿ Voges-Proskauer Test ﾿ 32

3.3.3.4 ﾿ Indole Production ﾿ 32

3.3.3.5 ﾿ Catalase ﾿ 32

3.3.3.6 ﾿ Coagulase ﾿ 32

3.3.3.7 ﾿ Citrate Test ﾿ 33

3.3.3.8 ﾿ Oxidase Test ﾿ 33

3.3.4 ﾿ Identification of Fungal Isolates ﾿ 33

3.3.4.1 ﾿ Wet preparation ﾿ 33

3.3.4.2Colonial Morphology ﾿ 33

3.4 ﾿ Calculation of percentage of occurrence ﾿ 33

3.5 ﾿ Statistical analysis ﾿ 34

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS ﾿ 35

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 ﾿ Discussion ﾿ 45

5.2 ﾿ Conclusion ﾿ 46

5.3 ﾿ Recommendations ﾿ 47

REFERENCES

APPENDIX