Abstract

Introduction: Despite the attendant health risks inherent in waste dump sites, certain individuals make their living by foraging and
packing the waste for survival.
Methods: A total of 280 samples were collected from the waste collectors, scavengers, and people living and trading around
refuse dump sites, collection centers, and refuse dump sites in Awka Metropolis. The bacterial and fungal isolates were further
subjected to pathogenicity testing using Wistar rats.
Results: The histology of the kidneys and lungs was altered except for the control group, which was injected with normal saline.
There were moderate and profuse macrophage infiltrations, with Bowman’s capsule distorted in the majority of the kidneys. It was
observed that none of the microorganisms altered the histology of the liver. The histology of the kidney and the lungs of the albino
Wistar rats was altered, which is indicative of pathoogenicity.
Conclusión: the pathogenic nature of the organisms isolated in this study indicates that the activities of scavengers and waste
collectors pose a serious health risk to the public. This study therefore calls for a proper regulatory system for waste disposal.