Title: Assessment of the hierarchical involvement of chemical characteristics of soil layer particles during bacterial retention in Central Africa

Authors: Moïse Nola; Olive V. Noah Ewoti; Mireille E. Nougang; François Krier; Nour-Eddine Chihib; Jean-Pierre Hornez; Thomas Njiné

Addresses: Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Yaounde 1, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon. ' Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Yaounde 1, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon. ' Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Yaounde 1, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon. ' Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 1, Laboratoire ProBioGEM, Bâtiment Polytech, Lille, Bd Paul Langevin – Cité Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq cedex, France. ' Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 1, Laboratoire ProBioGEM, Bâtiment Polytech, Lille, Bd Paul Langevin – Cité Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq cedex, France. ' Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 1, Laboratoire ProBioGEM, Bâtiment Polytech, Lille, Bd Paul Langevin – Cité Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq cedex, France. ' Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Yaounde 1, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon

Abstract: The main purpose of this investigation was to rank, in hierarchical order, some soil chemical factors that impact the sorption parameters of fecal indicator bacteria and Salmonella sp, during their transfer from soil surface to the groundwater table. Sorption coefficients (K_f) and linearity exponents (Ϫ) were obtained using the Freundlich isotherm. When Salmonella sp was present alone, the values of K_f varied from 2.70 log units mg⁻¹ to 7.84 log units mg⁻¹ of soil, and Ϫ varied from 0.04 to 2.70. When the two fecal indicator bacteria were present, K_f varied from 0.48 log units mg⁻¹ to 8.53 log units mg⁻¹ of soil, and Ϫ varied from 0.06 to 1.19. When fecal indicator bacteria and Salmonella sp were mixed, K_f varied from 1.73 log units mg⁻¹ to 7.70 log units mg⁻¹ of soil, and Ϫ varied from 0.09 to 0.88. The predominant factors controlling each sorption parameter varied with respect to soil layer and the bacterial species involved.

Keywords: Salmonella sp; fecal indicator bacteria; soil particles; sorption; predominant factors; Central Africa; soil layers; groundwater table; chemical factors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.045478

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.46 No.3/4, pp.178 - 198

Received: 13 Apr 2010
Accepted: 18 Nov 2010
Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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