EVALUATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS OF ABATTOIR WASTES ON RECEIVING WATER SOURCES

Abstract

include condemned meat parts, aborted foetuses, trimmings, horns, undigested ingesta, bones, and hairs while the liquid consist of blood, dissolved solids, urine, gut contents, and wastewater. Various studies have shown that abattoir wastes have negative impacts on the environment and are of public health concerns. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental health risks of abattoir wastes on the receiving freshwater sources, Specifically, the study (i) analyzed the microbiological and parasitological characteristics of wastes generated (ii) determined the physicochemical characteristics of wastes generated and their impact on the receiving water bodies and (iii) evaluated knowledge and practice of abattoir workers on waste management. Specific objectives one and two were determined using the Standard Methods of Wastewater Analysis as described by the American Public Health Association and use of Hydro Lab Quanta Water Quality Monitoring System while data on the third objective was collected based on a cross sectional survey using questionnaire. The study was carried out at five abattoirs - Shirere, Savona, Emusala, Ejinja corner and Bukura. The data was analyzed using inferential, descriptive and ANOVA statistics with SPSS version 20.0. Results revealed the presence of pathogenic microbes both in the abattoir effluent and water samples. The most notable of were, E. coli, P. aerugenosa, K. pneumoniae, E. faecalis, and S. dysenteriae. A number of fungi species were also present that included, A. flavus, S. cerevisiae, A. fumigatus, A. niger, F. oxysporum and Penicillium spp. Parasites that included, B. coli, T. hominis, A. duodenale, and A. lumbroicoides were also isolated. The mean bacterial concentrations of effluent were 8.17×106 MPN/100ml of TC, 3.94x104 cfu/ml of FC, 2.84x104 cfu/ml, of E. faecalis, 8.65x104 cfu/ml, of E. coli, and effluent BOD of 828.04mg/l. The mean bacterial values of borehole water 0- 250m from abattoir TC ranged from 50 to 270 MPN/100ml, FC 12 to 44 cfu/ml, E faecalis 0 to 30 cfu/ml, E. coli 0 to 19 cfu/ml, Fungi was 5 to 1880 cfu/ml, and parasites 0 to 30 egg/oocysts/litre which shows that the water is contaminated. Results of Physico chemical characteristics of bore hole water at 0-250m from abattoir varied with those at 251-500m in mean values of SPC - 292.03± 0.50 μs/cm, PH=10.018±0.49, TDS=173.46±3.23mg/l, TSS=0.7704±0.06mg/l, Turbidity-4.359±1.88NTUs, COD = 8.38 ± 0.76 mg/l, and the values were higher than the levels permitted by WHO for drinking water. The survey results clearly show that waste control measures were inadequately practiced despite waste management awareness among abattoir workers. Fifty-six percent of abattoir workers were in agreement that abattoir wastes were not properly disposed. River water and borehole water positively correlated with general health at r=0.208, r=0.2016, significant at p<0.01 respectively. There was also a significant negative correlation (r=-0.972, p<0.01) between bad odour and distance from the abattoir. The results clearly show that abattoir wastes result in pollution of the surrounding freshwater sources. These results are of great significance to the County government in the formulation of waste disposal policies. There is clearly a need for cleaner effluent treatment technologies.