ABSTRACT

 The painted wall flakes from seven (7) different hostels (Hostels A, 43, C, D, E, F, and G) both inside and outside were analyzed using microbial routine methods. The analysis involved the determination ofthe presence of bacteria and fungi contarpinajits and their levels of occurrence on the painted wall surfaces. The analysis was carried out under aseptic conditions. All the painted wall samples analyzed had high level of microbial contamination. The observable mean bacterial load for outside hostel samples ranged from 9.0±1.73 x 105cfu/g to 31.0±2.00 x 105cfu/g; for inside hostel, the observable mean bacterial load ranged from 9.67±1.16 x 105cfu/g to 31.67±2.08 x 105cfu/g respectively. Moreso, the mean fungal load observed for outside hostel samples ranged from 2.00±1.00 x 102 cfu/g to 7.33±1.15 x 102 cfu/g; for inside hostel, the mean fungal load observed ranged from 2.00±1.00 x 102cfu/g to 7.33±1.15 x 102 cfu/g respectively. The bacterial contaminants isolated from both inside and outside MOUAU hostel painted walls include Bacillus species, Pseudomonas species, Staphylococcus species, Proteus species, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus species, Alcaligenes species and Flavobacterium species. The fungi contaminants isolated from .both inside and outside MOUAU Hostel painted walls include Aspergillus species, Rhizopus species, Mucor species, Trichoderma species, Penicillum species, Cladosporium species, Fusarium species, Altemaria species and Phoma species. The percentage occurrence for bacteria both outside and inside ranged from 42.9% to 100% while the percentage occurrence for fungi outside hostel ranged from 42.9 to 100% and that of the inside ranged from 28.6% to 100%. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference (P>0.05) between outside and inside MOUAU hostel painted walls. This research summarizes the preserved state of knowledge about microbial deterioration of painted walls and the role of microbes in the deterioration of the painted walls and also possible control measures that could alleviate or reduce the growth and proliferation ofsuch micro-organisms.