Articles

Water Quality and Microbial analysis of water collected from the ponds nearby a Cement Plant through WQI and PCA

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The present paper aims to analyze the water quality from the samples collected from the periphery of one of the cement plants located in Bhilai. Three different samples were collected in the summer season, covering the area around the cement plant considered. The samples were characterized by means of physicochemical parameters such as pH, TDS (mg/L), Turbidity (NTU), Total alkalinity (mg/L), Chloride (mg/L), Total hardness (mg/L), Fluoride (mg/L), and Nitrate (mg/L).  The Water Quality Index (WQI) for the 03 samples collected was done and was found to be 166.264, 22.207, and 46.997, respectively. The dependency of WQI on various physicochemical parameters, along with the interdependency between the individual parameters, was analyzed using the loading plot obtained using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). It could be noticed that pH and fluoride contribute more to WQI in comparison to the other parameters included in this study. Z-score variance was also plotted to analyze the comparative stretching of the values of various individual parameters recorded. In addition, microbiological analysis was conducted using serial dilution, culturing, Gram staining, and biochemical testing. The presence of Bacillus spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Micrococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp., and Staphylococcus aureus was detected, indicating microbial contamination and possible health risks.

Isolation and Identification of Indigenous Bacteria for the Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Found in Refinery Wastewater

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degrading bacteria were screened and isolated from contaminated soil taken from Tema Oil Refinery wastewater effluent channels. Refinery wastewater was found to contain a low amount of inhibitory heavy metals but the presence PAHs were detected and identified. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated and identified were Pseudomonas stutzeri. Acinetobacter junii, Pseudomonas putida and Stetonotrophomonas nititireducens. All four bacteria showed high tolerance to a PAH combination of Naphthalene and Anthracene (1:1) of concentration as high as 5mg/ml. The identification of S. nititreducens as an indigenous bacterium is very significant since it is one of the very few bacteria known to be able to degrade high molecular weight PAHs.

Microbial Diversity from the Gut of Earthworms Involved in The Process of Vermicomposting Using Vegetable and Temple Waste

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Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly and economical technique for managing various organic wastes, including agricultural, temple, and vegetable. As crucial soil invertebrates, Earthworms exhibit beneficial effects on the soil environment, influencing both physical properties and organic matter. They play a key role in recycling organic matter. Within the earthworm’s gut, numerous aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, as well as fungi, are present. These microflorae establish a mutual symbiotic relationship with the earthworm’s digestive tract. The bacterial community functions as plant growth promoters, free-living nitrogen fixers, biocides, or phosphate solubilizers. Recognizing the immense importance of these gut microflora, a present investigation was conducted to study the microbial diversity in the gut of earthworms involved in vermicompost preparation using vegetable and temple waste. The selected earthworm species for this study was Eisenia fetida. Cow dung, vegetable, and temple waste were used in a ratio of 1:1 for vermicompost preparation. The experiment spanned approximately 60 days. The microbial diversity isolated from the gut of earthworms involved in the process of vermicomposting of vegetable and temple waste included various species of bacteria and fungi such as Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Enterococcus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, etc.

Highlight the Diseases Generated by Food Pathogens: A Review

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Foods are exposing to infection with different types of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and the emergence of many epidemics and cases of food poisoning in various regions of the world, particularly in developing countries.

The article includes, causes of food disease, which is happening as a result of eating toxic substances with food that may be of microbial origin (bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses), animal, plant or chemical origin, which generates food poisoning. Microbial poisoning may result either from ingestion of microorganism toxins like Staphylococcus aureus or as a result of infection like Campylobacter jejuni also, some cases of food poisoning with some types of bacteria may recover without the need for medical intervention like S. aureus, and others may be fatal even in low concentrations with a high mortality rate, such as Cl.botulinum.

The article also, reviewed the dangers of mycotoxins as a global concern and more dangerous than bacterial toxins, as they have a cumulative toxic effect that does not appear until years later, and responsible for many different cancers. It is also impossible to avoid food contamination with mycotoxins even with the use of high technologies in food processing, and the best solution lies in preventing the growth of toxic molds that secrete these toxins on food, by using Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).