Contamination of Water Boreholes in Ogbaru Communities, Anambra State, Nigeria by Fungi

Abstract

Ogbaru communities in Anambra State, Nigeria experience heavy flooding during the wet season thereby exposing the boreholes sited there to the risk of contamination by microorganisms. Water samples from fifteen drinking water boreholes in the area were analysed for the presence of fungi during the dry and wet seasons using standard analytical methods. The fungal counts were 3-25/cfu/ml and 4-30cfu/ml during the dry and wet seasons respectively. The fungi isolated during both seasons were Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladophialophora carrioni, Aspergillus terreus, Candida albicans and Rhodotorula glutinis. C. albicans and A. terreus, each were isolated from 20.0%, R. glutinis and C. carrioni each in 13.3%, P. chrysogenum in 33.3% and A. versicolor in 26.7% of the boreholes studied during the dry season while C. albicans, R. glutinis and A. terreus each were detected in 26.7%, P. chrysogenum in 40.0%, A. versicolor in 33.3% and C. carrioni in 20.0% of the boreholes investigated during the wet season. Aspergillus terreus occurred most frequently (31.4%) in the borehole water samples during the dry season while Penicillium chrysogenum had the highest frequency of occurrence of 28.3% during the wet season. All the borehole water samples analysed were contaminated by fungi and must undergo adequate treatment such as sand filtration chlorination, aeration and boiling before use.