Microbial Quality of Fresh Lettuce Irrigated with Untreated Waste Water Around Aksum University, Central Zone of Tigrai Region.

Abstract

Vegetables are essential components of the human diet and there is considerable evidence of the health and nutritional benefits related with the consumption of fresh vegetables. However, they can cause health problem if contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. The present study focused on the microbial quality of vegetables irrigated with untreated waste water. Data were analyzed using percentage and tables. The result of the study shows that 100% of the lettuce samples and 75% of the water samples were positive for salmonella spp. On the other hand, higher numbers of coliforms from lettuce were counted ranging from 3.207×10³ - 4.063×10⁵cfu/ml. Many people consume and sold lettuce in nearby towns and cause major health problems. Therefore, the present study can be used as an alarm for the concerned bodies to take measure.

Key words: Coliform, Lettuce, Salmonella spp., Waste water