Assessment Of Microbial Population On Phones Of Science Laboratory Techonology (Slt) Students In Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Abstract

Mobile phones are widely used by students for communication, learning, and social interaction; however, they may also serve as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms due to frequent handling and poor hygiene practices. This study assessed the microbial population associated with mobile phones used by Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) students of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic. A cross-sectional laboratory-based study was conducted using twenty (20) randomly selected mobile phone samples obtained from consenting students. Sterile swab sticks moistened with normal saline were used to collect samples from different phone surfaces. Standard microbiological methods, including serial dilution, spread plate technique, cultural characterization, Gram staining, and biochemical tests, were employed for the isolation, enumeration, and identification of microorganisms. The total bacterial counts ranged from 2.6 × 10⁴ to 4.3 × 10⁴ CFU/mL, while fungal counts ranged from 7.0 × 10² to 1.5 × 10³ CFU/mL. Bacterial contamination was generally higher than fungal contamination. The bacterial isolates identified included Staphylococcus species (32%), Escherichia coli (20%), Bacillus species (16%), Salmonella species (16%), Pseudomonas species (12%), and Klebsiella species (4%). Fungal isolates included Aspergillus species (42%), Penicillium species (25%), Candida species (17%), and Rhizopus species (16%). Out of the twenty phones examined, eighteen (90%) were contaminated with microorganisms.The study revealed that mobile phones used by students harbor diverse microorganisms of public health importance. Regular hand hygiene, routine phone disinfection, and increased awareness of infection prevention practices are recommended to reduce microbial contamination and possible disease transmission