DETERMINATION OF BIOFILM GROWTH OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA ALONG THE IKO RIVER ESTUARY

This study investigates the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm across five stations along the Iko Estuary, to understand the influence of environmental factors that affect the growth of these bacteria. The growth determination was carried out using UV-vis spectrophotometric technique. The physicochemical parameters which include temperature, pH, salinity, conductivity, and total dissolve solid were also determined to explain the environmental nature of the sample area. After five days, the absorbance values were measured to track biofilm growth, revealing significant variations across the stations. The result showed that the absorbance values increased from Day 1 to Day 3, ranging from about 0.300 to 1.490 respectively, indicating bacterial adaptation and nutrient utilization. Station 1 exhibited consistent growth, suggesting a stable, nutrient-rich environment conducive to biofilm formation. However, a sharp decline in absorbance was observed at Station 4 on Day 4 was 0.028 for 410nm and 0.022 for 455nm, likely due to stress factors such as nutrient depletion, contamination, or unfavorable physical conditions, which inhibited growth. The biofilm growth at Station 1 and 5 was about 0.9178 and 1.1570, respectively, suggesting that environmental conditions had stabilized. At station 4, the biofilm growth was less, with a mean value of 0.9156, indicating persistent stress factors. The results of this study underscore the complex interaction between environmental factors, such as nutrient availability and pollution, and the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring environmental conditions to predict microbial behavior and inform strategies for managing bacterial populations in estuarine ecosystems, especially considering the potential public health risks posed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa