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.