MICROBIAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL STUDY OF INDUSTRIAL BIOREACTOR FROM COCA COLA AND GUINNESS BREWERIES IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

Abstract

The microbiological and physicochemical qualities of the bioreactors used in Guinness Brewery and Coca Cola Company in Benin City were investigated using the standard microbiological methods. Three sampling points in the bioreactor that is, point of entrance of effluent to the bioreactor, midpoint of the bioreactor and point of exit of treated effluent were used for the study. The total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranged from 1.40 ± 0.21 to 1.80 ± 0.76 –x107cfu/ml of for sampling point A, 1.17 ± 0.09 to 1.80 ± 0.90 for sampling point B and 1.27 ± 0.47 to 3.43 ± 0.21 for sampling point C. The mean result obtained for the total fungal counts ranged from 2.00 ± 0.46 to 2.00 ± 0.69 –x 107cfu/ml for sampling point A, 1.63 ± 0.43 to 2.27 ± 0.48 for sampling point B and 1.33 ± 0.13 2.17 ± 0.29 for sampling point C. The Microbial isolates isolated include Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Corynebacteria spp., Bacillus sp., Lactobacillus spp., Micrococcus spp., Enterobacterae rogenese, Bacillus substilis, while the fungal isolates are Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergilius flavous, Aspergilius niger, Mucor and Chlonophoral. The result of the physicochemical parameters showed pH values ranged from 6.24 – 7.09, COD 135 – 385, BOD 30.4 – 108, TDS 506 – 824, TSS 87 – 108. SO4, PO4 had values ranging between 22 and 25 and 99.8 and 104 respectively. Some of the physicochemical parameters had values falling within the permissible limits while others were shown to be above the permissible limits.