Effect of pig farm lagoon effluent on river water quality and E. Coli survival in dtream water and sediment

• Main Author: Harold Wilson, Layang.
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2004
• Subjects: QD Chemistry; QL Zoology; QR Microbiology
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/17931/3/Harold%20Wilson%20-%20full.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/17931/

The effect of pig farm lagoon eftluent on Escherichia coli concentration in river water was studied. Four stations were identified for sampling: tributary (Station T2) that receives direct pig farm lagoon effiuent, a clean tributary (Station TI), upstream (Station Upstream) and downstream (Station Downstream) of a river in Serian. Samplings were conducted for 6 times from October 2003 to December 2003. Samples were analyzed for water quality parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and E. coli concentration. Station T2 has the highest mean BOD, ranging from 9.10 to 10.03 mgIL. The lowest mean of BOD was obtained from Station TI with the range between 5.23 to 6.9 mglL. Station T2 also has the highest mean value of COD and TSS ranging between 16.0 to 28.0 mglL for COD and 9.67 mglL to 14.0 mglL for TSS. Station TI has the lowest mean of COD, ranging from 3 mgIL to 15 mglL. Mean value of TSS between 2.67 mg/L to 7.67 mglL of Station Upstream was the lowest. Station T2 recorded the highest concentration of E. coli ranging from 40 cfulmL to 1000 cfu/mL for spread plate method and 154 cfulmL to 6610 cfulmL for membrane filtration method. Station TI has the least concentration of £. coli ranging from 3 cfulmL to II cfulmL lor spread plate. However, for membrane filtration method, Station Upstream has the lowest E. coli concentration ranging from 15 cfulmL to 95 cfulmL. A die-off study was also conducted using wet river bottom sediment. The wet sediment was inoculated with £. coli and incubated at 20°C and 30°e. At 30°C in sediment, E. coli was able to survive until 29 days while at 20°C, it was detectable up to 41 days. In water column at 30°C, E. coli was able to survive until 17 days while at 20°C, it was detectable up to 35 days. This study showed that discharging lagoon wastewater directly into a stream did increase E. coli concentration in that stream and temperature can influence the decay rate of £. coli in river bottom sediment.