Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research ISSN 2241-9837 Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-012, February, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of the temporal change in groundwater quality when stored at different temperatures in household conditions, in the equatorial region of Central Africa

Moïse Nola¹*, Ernest Djarmaila¹, Norbert Kemka^1,2, Serge H. Zébazé Togouet¹, Nour-Eddine Chihib³, François Krier³, Pierre Servais⁴, Jean-Pierre Hornez³ and Thomas Njiné¹

¹Laboratory of General Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde I, P. O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon.

²Hydrology Research Centre, Mining and Geological Research Institute, P. O. Box 4110 Nlongkak, Yaounde, Cameroon.

³Département de Génie Université Biologique, des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 1, IUT « A », Laboratoire ProBioGEM, Bd Paul Langevin – Cité Scientifique, B. P. 179 – 59 653 Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex France.

⁴Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine CP 221, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique.

Accepted 04 December, 2018

Abstract

The study carried out aimed at assessing the impact of groundwater storage temperature at household conditions on the temporal evolution of electrical conductivity and the future of heterotrophic aerobe bacteria (HAB). The storage duration was 7 days and the considered temperatures were 3, 10, 18 and 25°C. The electrical conductivity during storage reached 829 µS/cm at 3 - 18°C and 850 µS/cm at 25°C. The maximum HAB abundance was 9 x 10³ cfu/ml at 3°C, 41 x 10³ cfu/ml at 10°C, 44 x 10³ cfu/ml at 18°C and 93 x 10³ cfu/ml at 25°C. At the 3rd and 7th days storage at 3°C, changes in bacterial abundances values were significantly in the same direction as those of electrical conductivity (P < 0.05). The highest cell apparent growth rate at the 3rd day storage was 0.249 d^-1 at 3°C, 0.559 d^-1 at 10°C, 0.924 d^-1 at 18°C and 1.233 d^-1 at 25°C. However, at the 7th day storage, it was 0.362 d^-1 at 3°C, 0.497 d^-1 at 10°C, 0.690 d^-1 at 18°C and 0.672 d^-1 at 25°C. At the 3rd day storage, a decrease in cell abundance was noted in 90% of samples at 3°C and the cell apparent inhibitory rate varied from 0.012 to 0.989 d^-1. The storage of groundwater in households’ conditions for a long period would alter its bacteriological quality.

Key words: Bacterial abundance’s evolution, electrical conductivity, groundwater, storage temperature, duration.