Quantification, Variability Assessment of Bacterial Pollution and Public Health Hazards Linked to Users of Automated Teller Machines in Ekpoma, Edo State-Nigeria
Osatohanmwen Osarenmwinda, Omoike Ofure Blessing · International Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology · 2020
Raising number of mortals has used automated teller machines (ATMs) over the years, but little is known about their microbial colonization status. Based on this premise, we examined eight out of the nine commercial bank’s ATM in Ekpoma environs for quantification, variability assessment of the bacterial cross contamination and the likely health hazards linked to the users of such cash dispensing machines. A total number of sixteen (16) samples were acquired from eight different commercial banks ATM keypads and screens within the study area, using sterile swab sticks immersed in sterile normal saline. Samples were subsequently transferred to the laboratory section of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma for analyses using standard microbiological procedures for isolation, quantification and identification between the period of September to October 2019. Results showed that the total aerobic bacteria count, Staphylococcus aureus and coliforms counts on both the ATM keypads and Screens ranged from 9.0 × 103±2.65 cfu/m2 to 1.92 × 104±3.61 cfu/m2, 3.5 × 103±1.73 cfu/m2 to 9.8 × 103±4.58 cfu/m2 and 4.8 × 103±1.00 cfu/m2 to 1.08 × 104±2.00 cfu/m2 respectively. One-way Anova depicted a no significant difference (P ˃ 0.05) in the total aerobic bacterial plate count, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts in the various banks’ ATM keypads and screens in respectively of the facilities placement and the number of users. The bacteria implicated in this study were Escherichia coli, Bacillus spp, Klebsiella pnuemoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp and Coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. The findings from this study reveals that high volume of bacterial pollution were detected on ATM hardware user interface which invariably necessitated the need for adequate personal hygiene by both the users and custodians of such machines with a view to reducing the likely hood of spreading contagious agents.