ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISM FROM DETERIORATING CONSTRUCTION WOOD MATERIALS

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to isolate and identify microorganisms that cause deterioration of construction wood within Michael Okpara University of Agriculture. Five (5) different samples of deteriorated woods were collected from different locations of buildings within the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture buildings namely Male Hostel, Engine Workshop, COLNAS Extension, Computer Village and MOUAU Poultry. The debris of wood were scrapped out from wood aseptically using a sharp sterilized pen knife into a clean container and covered immediately to avoid contamination with foreign materials. The samples were processed aseptically using the serial dilution technique and appropriate dilutions inoculated onto nutrient agar, Mannitol Salt agar, Sabourand Dextose agar and MacConkey agar plates while total viable heterotrophic aerobic counts were determined using pour plate technique. Staining technique for identification of fungi while the bacteria isolates were then identified following standard microbiological procedure. Result obtained reviewed that the fungi isolated from samples from different locations include Aspergillus flavus, Apergillus fumugatus, Apergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer . Their perecentage occurrence was Apergillus flavus (80%), Aspergillus fumugatus (80%) and Aspergillus niger had the highest percentage occurrence which was (100%), and the least was Rhizopus stolonifer which has (20%). These fungi are spore formers and therefore can survive unfavourable conditions than the non-spore forming bacteria. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus (60%), Escherichia coli (80%), Klebsiella spp.(40%) and Serritia spp (20%). The occurrence rate indicated the possibility of contamination of wood. The study recommended that constant fumigation is necessary especially Male hostel and Computer village to decrease the activities of these microorganisms, paint should be applied on wood surfaces to prevent decay by protecting wood from intermittent wetting, especially if applied to ends and edges as well as to exposed faces, degradation of waste materials especially wood by cellulose producing microorganisms should be exploited for industrial and commercial purpose among others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page                                                                                                                    i

Certification                                                                                                                ii

Dedication                                                                                                                  iii

Acknowledgements                                                                                                    iv

Table of Contents                                                                                                       v

List of Tables                                                                                                              vii

List of figures                                                                                                             viii

Abstract                                                                                                                      ix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION                                                                                                    1

1.1       Aim of research                                                                                               2

1.2       Hypothesis                                                                                                      2

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Wood                                                                                                              3

2.2       Structural and chemical features of wood                                                      4

2.3       Degradation of wood by fungi                                                                       5

2.3.1    White Rot Fungi                                                                                             6

2.3.2     Brown Rot Fungi                                                                                           6

2.3.3    Soft Rot Fungi                                                                                                            7

2.4       Bacterial degradation                                                                                      8

2.5       Decay resistance of wood                                                                               9

2.6       Cellulose                                                                                                         10

2.6.1     Application of Cellulose                                                                                13

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1       Study area                                                                                                       15

3.2       Sample collection                                                                                            15

3.3       Sterilization of materials                                                                                 15

3.4       Normal saline preparation                                                                               16

3.5       Media preparation                                                                                           16

3.6       Serial dilution                                                                                                  16

3.7       Enumeration of total heterotrophic bacteria and fungi                                   16

3.8       Fungi identifications                                                                                       17

3.9       Bacteria identification                                                                                    17

3.10     Gram staining                                                                                                  18

3.11     Biochemical test                                                                                              18

3.11.1  Catalase test                                                                                                    18

3.11.2  Coagulase test                                                                                                 19

3.11.3  Indole test                                                                                                       19

3.11.4  Motility test                                                                                                    19

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS                                                                                                                 20

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION                          26

5.1       Discussion                                                                                                       26

5.2       Conclusion                                                                                                      28

5.3       Recommendation                                                                                            28

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

LIST OF TABLES

Table                                                  Title                                                                Page

2.1:      Composition of wood                                                                                     4

1:         Variable microbial count from deteriorating wood in MOUAU

            (cfu/g)                                                                                                             21

2:         Identification of Bacterial isolates from deteriorating Wood in

            MOUAU                                                                                                         22

3:         Identification of fungal isolated from deteriorating wood in MOUAU        23

4:         Percentage occurrence of isolates from deteriorating wood in MOUAU      24

5:         Distribution of microbial isolates from deteriorating wood and their

            percentage                                                                                                       25

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure                                                  Title                                                                 Page

1:                     Lignocellulose degradation by basidiomycetous fungi                      12

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Wood is made up of cellulose and lignin. Lignin makes up of about a third of the mass of typical wood and also adds great strength to the wood (Anderson et al., 2007). Our society depends on wood for a variety of uses. Wood is by far, the most versatile and beautiful building material available to man. It has been with us since man first started to build his own shelter (Wong, 2007). Cellulose fibrils have high tensile strength which is used in the textile industry, paper and miscellaneous materials like vulcanized fiber, plastic filters, filtering media and surgical cotton. Other uses include adhesives, explosives, thickening agents, coated paper, cellophane, artificial leather, films and foils (Hitchner and Leatherwood, 1982). And yet, it is also the only building material that is subject to destruction by biological agencies, such as fungi and insects. This is one of the inherent disadvantages of using wood as a building material. Wood is actually a very inert material, i.e., it does not go into chemical reactions that will actually destroy the material. It is surprisingly immune to acids, alkalis and. strong detergents (Wong, 2007).

As population increases, so does our need for wood especially with modern use of timber in construction of less costly buildings in order to make houses available to the increasing population. Steel, concrete and aluminium are some alternatives to treated wood in certain applications, but they have higher material costs, higher energy requirements in the production process, greater air and water pollution or environmental protection costs, and greater dependency on foreign sources for materials, Substitute materials may not be appropriate for some uses. For example, some types of steel may corrode; concrete may deteriorate in salt water renewable natural resource that, if properly treated, maintained and placed in service, will last indefinitely. It is critical for us to use our wood resource efficiently.

This research is intended to increase our knowledge of the causes and control of wood decay and degradation. A common cause for replacing wood structures is decay or degradation. More recently however, there have been changes in the structure of the forestry sector. The forest resource survey. 1996-1998, revealed that the forest cover has decreased by 20% over the preceding 18 years.   According to Adeyoju (2001), the total forest estate which stood at 10% of the country's land area in 1996 is now less that 6%. Ola Adams and Lyamabo (1977) estimated that about 26,000 ha of forest land are destroyed annually in the rainforest zone during the conversion of natural forests to plantation forests and other forms of land use. World Wildlife Fund estimated that over 90% of the natural vegetation had been cleared and over 350,000 ha of forest and natural vegetation are lost annually (WWF, 1989). Wood decay problems can be prevented for years by properly using and protecting wood. The heartwood of some species has a unique chemical composition that makes it very durable.

1.1       AIM AND OBJECTIVES

Aim:

To isolate and identify microorganisms from deteriorating construction wood materials

Objectives:

i)                    To isolate and identify microorganisms from deteriorating wood

ii)                  To determine the percentage occurrence of these isolates

iii)                To determine the distribution of these isolates

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