Microbiological Assessment of Effluent Discharge from Textile Industries into the Kano River Drainage System

Industrial effluent discharge from textile factories in Kano, North West Nigeria, contributes to the contamination of the Kano River drainage system, creating public health and ecological risks for downstream communities that use river water for drinking and irrigation. This study assesses the microbiological quality of effluent discharged from five large textile industries in the Challawa and Sharada industrial estates into the Kano River drainage network. Effluent samples were collected at points of discharge, mid-channel, and at downstream community abstraction points over three months. Standard microbiological analyses including heterotrophic plate count, total coliform, faecal coliform, and selective isolation for Salmonella and Pseudomonas species were performed. Heterotrophic counts at discharge points exceeded 106 cfu/ml in all five industries. Faecal coliforms at downstream community abstraction points averaged 1,200 most probable number per 100 ml, substantially exceeding WHO recreational and drinking water guidelines. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 80 percent of effluent and downstream samples. The study correlates ineffective effluent treatment with non-functional waste treatment plants at three of five factories. Professional recommendations include mandatory effluent microbiological quality reporting to NESREA, investment in functioning aerobic treatment systems, and quarterly independent audits of textile effluent quality in Kano industrial zones. Keywords: industrial effluent, textile industry, Kano River, microbiological quality, NESREA