A STUDY ON ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF AIRBORNE BACTERIA AT THREE DIFFERENT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT LOCATIONS IN VISAKHAPATNAM CITY, A.P

M.Ch.Shravanthi; N. Ravi Kumar; T. Byragi Reddy

Volume : V, Issue : IV, April - 2016

A STUDY ON ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF AIRBORNE BACTERIA AT THREE DIFFERENT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT LOCATIONS IN VISAKHAPATNAM CITY, A.P

M. Ch. Shravanthi, N. Ravi Kumar, T. Byragi Reddy

Abstract :

The article presents monitoring and evaluating the levels of Bioaerosols (airborne bacteria) concentrations as an indicator of microbial air pollution in and around the sewage treatment plants in Visakhapatnam city (A.P).The air samples were collected using the N–6 stage Anderson�s sampler from different sites associated with various phases of sewage treatment processes. The concentrations were evaluated from three sewage treatment units, the largest STP located at I Town with handling capacity of 38 MLD followed by Appughar STP and Arilova STP of 25 MLD & 13MLD capacity. The concentrations of total mesophilic bacteria at I Town, Appughar & Arilova STP were 20279.98 CFU/m3,10775.47CFU/m3 and 4669.69 CFU/m3 respectively. In conclusion, the airborne bacterial concentrations were quite high at I Town STP location compared to Arilova and Appughar STP�s. The potentially pathogenic infectious bacteria detected were: Bacillus sps, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Micrococcus sps, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.