Environmental impact assessment of abattoirs in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abattoir waste discharged randomly into a recipient ecosystem can have a serious ecological impact. This study aimed to assess the environmental impact of abattoir operations, looking at the physicochemical and microbiological quality of air, soil and wastewater within the vicinity of operations. Physicochemical parameters of air, soil and water were found to differ across locations, though not significant (p>0.05). BOD and COD exceeded the tolerable limits of 30-100 mg/l and 250 mg/l respectively, for all samples. Only the pH (10.62) of wastewater from the Mbodo-Aluu abattoir exceeded the tolerable limit of 5.5-9.0. All heavy metals were within tolerable limits, except Zn, which exceeded 0.2 mg/l. Microbiological parameters of air, soil and water were also found to differ across locations, though not significant (p>0.05). Abattoir operations impact the physicochemical characteristics of wastewater, soil, and air in the abattoir environment. Microbes associated with wastewater, soil impacted by abattoir wastewater, and air from the abattoir environment were found to include pathogenic species of bacteria and fungi. Proper waste management should be encouraged among abattoir operators and should include treatment of wastewater.