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June 30, 2025
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December 15, 2025
Published
December 29, 2025
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Abstract

Background: The discharge of untreated abattoir effluents in suburban areas of Nigeria poses serious environmental and public health risks due to the presence of high levels of pollutants, particularly heavy metals such as iron, copper, and zinc.


Methods: The effectiveness of indigenous microbial strains (Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) in bioremediating heavy metals in abattoir wastewater from Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria. Effluent samples were collected in pre-cleaned HDPE bottles. Microbial isolation, identification followed APHA standard procedures. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) experiment included four treatments, incubated for 72 hours. Heavy metals were quantified using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), and data analyzed with two-way ANOVA.


Results: The untreated effluent contained iron (55.92 mg/L), copper (67.77 mg/L), and zinc (39.34 mg/L), exceeding the FEPA and WHO permissible limits. After 72 hours, the bacterial consortium significantly (p < 0.001) reduced iron, copper, and zinc by 77.3 %, 77.4%, and 58.7 %, respectively. Dissolved oxygen increased from 1.50 to 5.60 mg/L, and turbidity decreased from 28 to 4.2 NTU.


Conclusion: Indigenous Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp., in consortia, offer effective approach to bioremediate heavy metals.

Keywords

Bioremediation indigenous microbes microbial consortium heavy metals environmental pollution

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Copyright (c) 2025 Ubong Godswill Udoh, Andrew Chibuzor Iloh

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Author Biographies

Ubong Godswill Udoh, Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Nigeria

Ubong Godswill Udoh is an environmental toxicologist and Assistant Research Fellow at the Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, SHESTCO, Abuja. His research focuses on bioremediation, environmental sustainability, and the development of nature-based solutions that enhance ecosystem health and support sustainable environmental management across diverse contaminated environments.

Andrew Chibuzor Iloh , Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex , Nigeria

Andrew Chibuzor Iloh is a Principal Research Fellow at the Biodiversity and Climate Research Laboratory, Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, SHESTCO, Abuja, Nigeria. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Ecology and Population Genetics, an M.Sc. in Environmental Biology, and a B.Sc. in Botany. His research interests include plant evolution and systematics, biodiversity conservation, molecular ecology, and ecological genetics, with a focus on understanding plant population dynamics and ecosystem resilience.

How to Cite
Udoh, U. G., & Iloh , A. C. (2025). Bioremediation Potential of Indigenous Microbial Consortia for Heavy Metal Removal in Abattoir Wastewater. Pan-African Journal of Health and Environmental Science, 4(2), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.56893/ajhes2025v04i02.09
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