Market sanitation has been a serious problem in major cities in Nigeria. This study describes the characteristics of wastes in 12 markets in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. The results indicate that the wastes comprise of over 68% of easily decomposable matter originating from food, leaves and paper. The wastes on an average showed 66.7% volatile substances, 2.1 % total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 1.6% total phosphorus (PO4), and 66.5% water content. The heavy metal contents were low in the single sample analysed. The possibility of converting such wastes into compost or animal feeds is suggested.
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