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Full Length Research Paper
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Polluted Alamuyo River:
Impacts on surrounding wells, microbial attributes and toxic
effects on Allium cepa root cells
O. O. Fawole, T. A. Yekeen*,
A. A. Ayandele, A. Akinboro, M. A. Azeez and S. O. Adewoye
Department
of Pure and Applied Biology, Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
tayekeen@yahoo.com.
Tel: 08036674134.
Abbreviations:
LDS, Late dry season; ERS, early rainy season; and LRS, late
rainy season.
Accepted
4 January, 2008 |
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Abstract |
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The physicochemical analysis and microbial load of polluted
Alamuyo River in Ibadan, Nigeria and selected wells along
its course were evaluated. Toxic effects of water samples
obtained from upstream (A) and down stream (F) of the river
were also evaluated using Allium cepa root assay. The
result of the analysis revealed that the water sample
contained toxic substances. However, almost all parameters
evaluated were within the allowable limit of treated
wastewater. High microbial load was observed in river water
samples compared to the well water samples throughout the
sampling periods with overall highest value observed at Late
Rainy Season upstream water sample (LRS-A). MPN of faecal
coliform showed that LDS-A, ERS-F and LRS from A – F were
significantly different. Echerichia coli, Bacillus
substillis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fragii
were among the microbes observed in the samples. T-test
analysis on A. cepa root length showed that only 50%
of LDS-A, LDS-F and LRS-A were significantly different from
control (P < 0.05) though there were reduction in root
length in all concentrations tested through out the sampling
period except 5% ERSA, 10% ERSF and 10% LRSF. Microscopic
evaluation of A. cepa cells showed decreasing number
of dividing cells and mitotic indices were not dose
dependent in most cases. Chromosome fragments, bridge, lag
and disturbed spindle were the aberrations observed in this
study. Our result showed that water samples from the river
contained toxic substances and high microbial load, which
have effects on the surrounding wells due to infiltration.
Key
words:
Toxicity, Allum cepa, aberration, allowable limits,
evaluation, phytotoxic. |
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