FILTRATION ENHANCEMENT WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD FOR THE REDUCTION OF BACTERIAL LOADS FROM LABORATORY WASTEWATER

ABSTRACT Wastewater from sinks is a common source of microbial contamination and presents significant public health concerns. This study investigates the comparative enhancements of filtration and electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure on bacteria isolated from wastewater. Wastewater samples were collected from the Microbiology Laboratory at Joseph Ayo Babalola University and subjected to microbiological analysis. A total of 6 bacterial isolates were identified through morphological and biochemical characterization, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella spp., and Bacillus subtilis. These organisms are known indicators of fecal contamination and pose varying levels of pathogenicity. To evaluate the impact of EMFs, samples were exposed to electromagnetic induction coil for 24 and 48 hours. Results showed a significant reduction in bacterial colony-forming units (cfu/ml), decreasing from 3.6 × 10⁴ to 3.0 × 10¹ after 48 hours. Moreover, no growth of E. coli and S. aureus was observed post-exposure, indicating the strong bactericidal potential of EMFs. In contrast, filtration resulted in a lesser reduction of microbial load from 3.6 X 104cfu/ml, with post-filtration cfu/ml values averaging 6.8 × 10³ and 4.4 × 10³ across two batches. The study supports the potential use of electromagnetic fields as an alternative or supplementary disinfection method for household water treatment. It recommends further research into EMF parameters, combination with filtration systems, and its practical application in decentralized water purification systems.