Effect of Automobile Paint Wastes Disposal on Soil Health Indices

Abstract

In this investigation, the effects of paint waste disposal on the receiving soil in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State. Samples of soil were collected from the painter workshops using soil auger and transported to the laboratory for further processing. The microbial population was determined using pour plate method and some biochemical tests while the physicochemical parameters of the soil samples were analyzed using standard methods. The total heterotrophic bacterial count of the paint contaminated soil in Owo ranged from 65.10 to 185.50 x 10⁵ CFU/g. Sample from Owo 2 recorded the highest heavy metal resistant bacteria count (248.33 x 10⁵ CFU/g). The organisms isolated from the soil samples were Klebsiella spp., Escherichia spp., Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Esherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., Bacillus spp. and Serratia spp. The physicochemical analysis results revealed that Conductivity was significantly higher (P<0.01) in contaminated soil samples (1.67, 1.82 and 1.27 mS/cm) than uncontaminated (0.21 mS/cm) soil sample. Also, heavy metals obtained from the experimental sites were found to be more than the control. Based on the results of this study, it is advised that paint effluents should be subjected to screening and possible remediation processes in order to avoid contamination of the environment with the toxic metals.