Abstract
The recent proliferation of agricultural activities (farming and grazing of animals) within hospital premises is a major concern,
leading our team of researchers to conjecture that such an environment may have adverse effects on plants, animals, and human
health. This research sought to assess the microbial and heavy metal status of soils under cultivation within hospitals in Calabar,
with a view to determining the implications for food and farmer’s safety. Four hospitals with open dumps and one with an
incinerator, all with ongoing farming activities within one meter from the hospital dump-sites were identified within Calabar
metropolis for the study. Crops were cultivated less than 1 m distance around the open dumps and incinerator within the
hospital premises. Forty-eight composite top (0-15 cm) and sub (15-30 cm) soil samples were randomly obtained from farms
within the five hospitals and a control site within Calabar metropolis and analyzed for microbial properties and heavy metals
zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and iron (Fe) contents. Two edible plants from each sampling site were also
collected for heavy metal detection. The results showed that the soils were sandy loam in texture. The pH of soils in the study
site ranged from strong to slightly acid in reaction. The results for microbial analysis indicated a proliferation of mostly
pathogenic organisms at the hospital sites. The following bacterial isolates were identified from the hospital sites: Clostridium
spp., Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Micrococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp., vibrio spp, E.coli, Streptococcus spp.,
Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., klebsiella spp., Nocardia spp., Enterococcus spp. and Mycobacterium spp. Probable
fungal isolates from the hospital sites include Aspergillus spp., Mucor spp., Scopulariopsis spp., Verticillium spp.,
Paccilomyces spp., Phoma spp., Rhizopus spp., Alternaria spp. Drechslera spp, and Microsphaeropsis spp. The metal pollution
index (MPI) of the hospital sites indicates slightly to moderate pollution with Cu, Pb, Zn and very severe pollution of Cr and
Zn at hospital 1. Generally, the hospital soils were excessively polluted with Fe. Based on the metal pollution index (MPI)
ranking these levels of heavy metals can exert negative effects on plants, soil ecosystem and the environment in general. This
was evident in the accumulation of heavy metals in soil and plant tissue grown at the hospital sites than those from the control
site. However, the bio-accumulation of Zn, Cu, and Fe in plants from the hospital sites were below the standards by FAO/WHO.
Owing to the preponderance of pathogenic organism observed and the increasing levels of heavy metals in soil and plants
recorded in this research, it is recommended that agricultural activities should not be carried out at hospital sites to prevent
contamination of pathogenic organisms by farmers and to ensure food safety
Victoria F. Ediene, Ene E. Aki, Otobong B. Iren, John Kingsley. (2020) INFLUENCE OF HOSPITAL WASTES ON SOIL ECOSYSTEM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN NIGERIA, Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 57, Issue 6.
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