Abstract

Background:
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant impact on health, especially in educational settings with high human occupancy.

Aim:
This study assessed the bacterial load and diversity in the indoor air of classrooms at the Federal University Wukari, Nigeria.

Methods:
Passive air sampling (settle plate method) was used to collect air samples during morning and evening sessions with 10- and 30-min exposure times.

Results:
Bacterial loads ranged from 1.5 × 10² to 9.0 × 10² CFU/plate in the morning and from 1.0 × 10² CFU/plate to TNTC in the evening. Four bacterial species were identified: S. aureus (36.3%), B. subtilis (27.3%), E. aerogenes (18.2%), and E. coli (18.2%). S. aureus was consistently present, whereas E. coli appeared only in the morning samples.

Conclusion:
The presence of opportunistic pathogens, particularly E. coli, highlights a potential public health risk related to poor ventilation and hygiene. Enhanced IAQ management is recommended to reduce microbial exposure in university classrooms.

Key words: Indoor air quality; Classroom; Student; Staff; Federal University Wukari.