EFFECT OF CARICA PAPAYA MATERIALS ON MICROBIAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL QUALITIES OF RIVER, STREAM AND POND WATER

摘要

Bacteriological and physicochemical profiles of surface water collected from Chanchaga Local Government area of Niger State were treated with Carica papaya leaf, stem, seed and bark powder to ascertain their effectiveness in water treatment. Phytochemical bacteriological and physicochemical analyses were carried out using standard procedures. Phenol, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and steroids were found in all part of C. papaya. The stem, seed and bark of C. papaya at all concentrations tested completely eliminated the total viable counts (TVC), total cohforms count (TCC), faecal coliform,s counts (FCC), and Salmonella-Shigella counts (SSC) after 24 hrs. The leaf of C. papaya only reduced the TVC and TCC count of stream and pond water after 24 hrs. However, the leaf of C. papaya at concentrations of 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 gl~(-1) completely ehminated the TVC, TCC, FCC and SSC count of the river water after 12 hours of treatment. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) range between 8 and 64 mg ml~(-1) while the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the plant materials range between 16-128 mg ml~(-1) against aU organism tested. The plant causes no significant (p > 0.05) changes to the total dissolve solid (TDS), hardness, chloride and nitrate content of river water. All part of C. papaya significantly reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity and nitrate contents of the pond water. There were also decreases in dissolved oxygen (DO), TDS, nitrate and turbidity but increase incalcium contents of the stream water. Alum significantly reduced the DO, TDS, hardness, turbidity and pH while calcium hypochlorite reduced the DO and TDS of the water samples. Carica papaya plant materials have a double advantage of having phytochemicals of antimicrobial properties and also better potentials for water purification than the synthetic coagulant.