Impact of abattoir waste on aquatic life: a case study of Yola abattoir

The impact of abattoir waste on aquatic life, using the Yola abattoir and the Chuchi dam, as a case study was the subject of the study. A total of 36 water samples of Yola abattoir wastewater and the Chuchi dam water was collected and analysed for the physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics over a period of 6 months (January to June, 2003). Oral interview was also conducted with the abattoir workers and those working around the dam. The abattoir waste was found to be disposed off untreated. The abattoir wastewater was found to be highly polluted, with the physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters exceeding the effluent level recommended for discharge into water bodies in Nigeria. The physico-chemical and bacteriogical characteristics of the Chuchi dam water were similar to that of the abattoir waste water. The abattoir wastewater is discharged along a slope draining down into the Chuchi dam. The implications of the results on the aquatic life of the dam are highlighted.Keywords: impact, abattoir waste, aquatic life Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(1) 2006: 31-33