Abstract

Background: Air pollution is a global environmental and health concern, particularly in urban motor parks where human activity is intense. The motor pack air is usually polluted by vehicular emissions, smoke from food vendors using wood fuel, open waste dumps, poor sanitation, overcrowding, and constant movement of traders and commuters. .Aim: This study assessed the microbial air quality of Wukari New Market Motor Park and the Federal University Wukari gate (FUW-Gate) Motor Park, focusing on identifying and quantifying airborne microbial contaminants. Methods: Air samples were collected using the settle plate technique with open Petri dishes containing culture media, placed at two-day intervals. Standard microbiological methods were employed for the isolation and identification of bacterial and fungal species. Results: Bacterial counts ranged from 151 to 270 CFU/plate at New Market and 120 to 180 CFU/plate at FUW-Gate, while fungal counts ranged from 104 to 167 SFU/plate at New Market and 69 to 111 SFU/plate at FUW-Gate. Three bacterial genera were isolated: Bacillus (70%), Staphylococcus (20%), and Clostridium (10%). Fungal isolates included Aspergillus flavus (60%), Rhizopus (35%), and Alternaria (5%). Bacillus and Aspergillus were the most dominant bacterial and fungal species respectively. At the 95% confidence level, microbial loads differed significantly between the two parks. Conclusion: Data generated underline the usefulness of monitoring the air quality of the selected locations because the contamination of new market park and FUW-Gate park habitats can cause health problems and even an increase in human mortality.

Key words: Air quality, Evening, Microorganisms, Morning, Motor park, Wukari