Beauty salons may provide a suitable medium for the growth and transfer of pathogenic microorganisms which may be of public health significance. This study was aimed at investigating the microbial contamination of beauty salon tools within the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Nutrient agar was used for the determination of total culturable heterotrophic bacterial counts and Potato dextrose agar was used for the determination of total spore counts. Bacterial isolates were subjected to different biochemical tests while the fungal cultures were identified by macroscopy and microscopy. Results revealed bacterial load obtained from combs and brushes across the three campuses studied ranged from 6.3x105 to 2.8x106 CFU/swab area and 5.8x105 to 1.8x106 CFU/swab area respectively. Total spore counts obtained from combs and brushes across the three campuses ranged from1.8x105 to 1.0x106 CFU/swab area and 4.2x105 to 9.3x105CFU/swab area respectively. The bacterial isolates obtained from the salon tools include Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp.,Serratia spp.,Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp. and Shigella spp., while the fungal isolates include Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium spp., Tricophyton spp. and Microsporium spp. Staphylococcus aureus (27.7%) and Bacillus spp.(22.2%) were the predominant bacterial isolates in the study while Aspergillus flavus (36.3%) and Penicillium spp.(27.3%) were the most occurring fungi. The study showed that fomites used in beauty salons harbour significantly high microbial load including microorganisms of possible public health significance.

In this study, hydrocarbon degradation potentials of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from oil-polluted soil were examined. Samples were collected from Sakpenwa, an oil producing community in Tai LGA of Rivers State, Nigeria and analyzed for physicochemical and microbiological properties using standard techniques. Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) were isolated by vapour phase transfer method using mineral salt medium. The biodegradation study was carried out on a standard laboratory shaker for 30 days in Bushnell -Haas agar supplemented with 5% of crude oil. Fifteen (15) bacterial isolates were screened for hydrocarbon degradation potentials of which five isolates exhibited high hydrocarbon degradability.  The following parameters were monitored using each of the five isolates and a consortium during the biodegradation study: Colour change, Optical density (OD), pH, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), Total Hydrocarbon Contents (THC) and Total Cuturable Heterotrophic Bacterial Counts (TCHBC). The mean TCHBC ranged from 1.65×107 to 2.27×108cfu/ml while the mean Total Culturable Hydrocarbon Utilizing Bacterial Counts ranged from 1.09×104 to 3.9×105. The optical density varied from 0.09±0.02 - 2.57±0.00 and pH ranged from 2.98±0.09 - 6.98±0.09. The optical density varied to .09±0.02 - 2.57±0.00 and pH ranged from 2.98±0.09 -0.98±0.09. The gravimetric analysis showed that Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp. Alcaligenes sp. and Acinetobacter sp. were able to degrade 96.90%, 99.60%, 99.20% and 99.70% of the hydrocarbons respectively. This study demonstrated that indigenous bacterial species were highly efficient in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

The existence of heavy metals in “kpo-fire” impacted soil creates significant risks to human health and the ecosystem. In this study, the efficacy of the elimination of heavy metal from “kpo-fire” impacted soil was evaluated using bacterial treatments. The organisms (Bacillus flexus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) used in the bioremediation setup were isolated from the impacted soil. Heavy metal analysis was carried out using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The experimental setup involved the recreation of the contaminated soil sample in three (3) vessels labeled as: Flask A containing 300g of un-amended sample (control) to monitor natural process; Flask B containing 300g of sterilized sample; Flask C containing 300g of sample with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus flexus. Soil baseline physicochemical composition was determined to have a pH of 6.18, Temperature of 29.2oC, Total Organic Carbon 7.58 mg/kg and Phosphate concentration 37.56 mg/kg. At the end of the investigation, experimental setup C, containing bacterial inocula was observed to possess the best bio-removal rates for Mercury (99.32%), Cadmium (77.59%), Boron (72.84%) and Arsenic (93.43%) after a 42-day period of study. Also, the concentrations declined from 1.05264mg/kg to 0.00621mg/kg for Mercury; Cadmium declined from 5.93mg/kg to 1.16mg/kg; Boron declined from 3.61mg/kg to 0.82mmg/kg and Arsenic declined from 2.78mg/kg to 0.16mg/kg. Molecular characterization revealed the contaminated soil had predominance of isolates with genomic molecular weight of 1,500 bp and the phylogenetic construct showed the bacterial isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MT023359), Bacillus flexus (MT023375) and Lysinibacillus macroides (MT023377). Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the bacterial biomass and heavy metal removal. The synergistic parts played by bacterial consortia in the bio-removal of heavy metals from the polluted soil have been established and these potentials can be harnessed as a roadmap for eco-recovery of impacted environment in the Niger Delta. Bacillus flexus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in consortium are efficient in remediation of kpo-fire contaminated soil.

Aim: This study was carried out to investigate the Susceptibility of Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to extracts from young and mature mango (Magnifera indica) leaves and stem-bark of the same plant.                                                                                Study Design: The study employed statistical analysis of the data and interpretation.                                      Place and Duration of Study: Young and mature mango leaves and stem-barks were collected from the Botanical Garden, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Nigeria, and taken to the laboratory for analyses.                            Methodology: The samples were dried in an oven at 80oC for 3 days. Thereafter, 50 g of each ground mango leaves and stem-bark (young and mature of the same plant) were soaked separately in 500 ml of water, ethanol (95% v/v), and acetic acid (99.9% v/v) for another 3 days. The soaked materials were filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper into sterile beakers and evaporated to dryness in a water-bath at 80oC. The dried extracts obtained were reconstituted with water at concentrations of 100, 75, 50 and 25 mg/ml. Test organisms, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were obtained after proper laboratory screening of isolates from the diagnostic laboratory of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for confirmation of identity and storage in universal bottles in a refrigerator. Sensitivity tests were carried out with the agar well diffusion method against the test organisms, using tetracycline as standard control drug (for bacteria) and fluconazole (for Candida), with cultures incubated accordingly. The measured zones of inhibition were compared with the controls and interpreted as resistant, intermediate, or susceptible to mango extracts in accordance with the interpretive guidelines published by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Assays for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were also carried out. Results: Results obtained showed that Escherichia coli was completely susceptible to acetic acid young leaf and young bark extracts at 100 mg/ml concentrations. Staphylococcus aureus was susceptible only to Acetic acid young leaf extract at 100 mg/ml. For Candida albicans complete susceptibility was with acetic acid young bark at 100 mg/ml.  mature leaf extract (100 mg/ml ), acetic acid young bark extract (100 to 50 mg/ml ), aqueous young bark extract (100 mg/ml) and acetic acid mature   Candida albicans was susceptible to acetic acid young and mature bark extract at 100 mg/ml concentration. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of acetic acid young leaf extract for all three organisms were 12.5 mg/ml. MIC of ethanolic young leaf extract for E. coli was 12.5 mg/ml whereas that for C. albicans was 50 mg/ml.  Minimum bacteriocidal concentration values were same as MIC. Conclusion: E. coli and S.aureus were found to be most susceptible to acetic acid young leaf and stem-bark mango extracts. For C. albicans susceptibility profiles were best with aceti acid young and mature stem-bark extracts. It was also found that mango phytochemicals have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity as well as antifungal properties. The study also reveals that young mango parts contain higher bioactive substances than mature parts. Finally, it was concluded that acetic acid extracts produced the highest antimicrobial effects whereas aqueous extracts produced the least.

Aim: To determine the bacterial and physicochemical analysis of topsoil from an electronic waste (e-waste) dumpsite within Port Harcourt metropolis using standard procedures. Place and Duration of Study: The study area was Kaduna street, beside Fruit and Vegetable Garden Market, Mile l which is located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The coordinates are 4o47’57.5” N 7o00’02.7” E. The duration of study was between March and September, 2019. Methodology: The waste disposed were mainly television sets, computer monitors, radio sets, stoves, laptops and central processing units. Soil samples were cleared off top debris, collected within 5cm of the top soil from four (4) different points of the dumpsite and a control was collected from area devoid of waste disposal, 20m away from the dumpsite. The five samples were kept in clean sterile polythene bags. Contamination observed from soil samples was attributed to the waste disposal. The total heterotrophic bacterial count was performed using l gram of soil from e-waste dumpsite in a 9-fold serial dilution using a spread plate method, in duplicates on dried nutrient agar plates and incubated at 30°C for 24hours. Centrimide agar plates were used to obtain Pseudomonas isolates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours while MacConkey agar plates were used to isolate coliform bacteria, incubated at 0c for 48 hours. The physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. Results: Seven (7) bacterial genera were isolated from the topsoil of the e-waste dumpsite and they were Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Kluyvera, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Chromobacterium and Pectobacteria species. Staphylococcus spp. had the highest percentage composition of 42.3% and Kluyvera spp, the lowest percentage composition of l.9% of bacterial isolates found in the topsoil of the electronic waste dumpsite. The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from l.30 x l06 to l.97 x l06 cfu/g, total coliform count was 3.05 x l03 to 7.98 x l03 cfu/g and total Pseudomonas count ranged from l.00 x l02   to 2.88 x l03 cfu/g with a significant difference at .05 probability level to the control samples. The temperature ranged from 27.67±0.580C to 28.00±l.000C with a control of 29.00±l.000C, pH value ranged from 6.33±0.58 with a control of 7.00±0.00. The pH values were lower than the control indicating that the soil was slightly acidic to neutral. Moisture content had 4% with a control of 2.7%, an organic matter of l7.33±0.58 with a control of 4.47±0.58. Conclusion: The presence of the isolated organisms could cause public health risk or environmental hazard. Proper education and legislations on handling of e-waste in the society should be intensified to forestall waste related problems along the food chain.