Assessment of the Effect of Electromagnetic Field on Bacterial Load and Physicochemical Properties of A Selected Food and Dairy Industry Effluent in Akure

Management of industrial effluents is one of the major challenges affecting developing nations of the world. Many of these industries release their effluents indiscriminately into the environment without proper treatment, which has caused a great health hazards to the environment and living population of this nation. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of electromagnetic field on microbial load of industrial effluents from food and dairy industry at Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. Bacteria were isolated and identified using biochemical and molecular methods. Microbiological analysis and physicochemical characterization of the industrial effluent were carried out to determine the effect of electromagnetic field on microbial load and physicochemical parameters of the industrial effluents. Eleven bacteria were isolated from the effluents, the morphological, microscopic and biochemical characteristics of the eleven isolated bacteria suggests the isolates to be Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis ,Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcous lactis, Micoccocus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Rhodococcus equi, Serratia marcesans and Staphylococcous aureus. It was observed that electromagnetic field (EMF) had significant effect on the bacterial load of the industrial effluent. Mean differences was considered significant at P≤0.05. Bacterial load decreases as the magnitude of the EMF increases with time. The physicochemical analysis of the raw and EMF treated effluents revealed that EMF treated effluent had lower mean values of physicochemical. This outcome of study shows that Electromagnetic field treatment of effluent is effective in reducing the bacterial load of food and dairy industrial effluents, hence making the effluent safe for the environment to which it will be discharged. The method for the treatment can be developed and modified for effective use in industrial settings which will be of great economic importance to food and dairy industries and waste water management of developing nations.