In this study, we evaluated the potential of Salicornia neei, a halophyte plant native to South America, to treat saline effluents with simulated concentration of ammonium-N (Amm) and nitrate-N (Nit) in a similar manner to land-based marine aquaculture effluents. Plants were cultivated for 74 days in drainage lysimeters under three treatments of seawater fertilized with: (1) Nit + Amm, (2) Nit, or (3) without fertilizer (Control). Over five repetitions, nitrogen removal efficiency (RE) was high in both treatments (Nit + Amm = 89.6% ± 1.0%; Nit 88.8% ± 0.9%), whereas the nitrogen removal rate (RR) was nonlinear and concentration-dependent (RRday1–4: Nit + Amm = 2.9 ± 0.3 mg L−1 d−1, Nit = 2.4 ± 0.5 mg L−1 d−1; RRday5–8: Nit + Amm = 0.8 ± 0.2 mg L−1 d−1, Nit = 1.0 ± 0.2 mg L−1 d−1). Effluent salinity increased from 40.6 to 49.4 g L−1 during the experiment, with no observed detrimental effects on RE or RR. High nitrogen removal efficiency and significant biomass production were observed (Nit + Amm = 11.3 ± 2.0 kg m−2; Nit = 10.0 ± 0.8 kg m−2; Control = 4.6 ± 0.6 kg m−2) demonstrate that artificial wetlands of S. neei can be used for wastewater treatment in saline aquaculture in South America.
BackgroundOne of the main challenges for the sustainability of land-based marine aquaculture systems is the treatment of saline effluent saturated with nitrogenous waste. In this study, we evaluated the potential of Salicornia neei, a halophyte plant native to South America, to remove nitrogen and produce biomass in sandy substrate with nitrogen concentrations similar to marine aquaculture effluent. Plants were collected from the natural environment and cultivated under three treatments: 1) seawater fertilized with nitrate + ammonium (Nit+Amm); 2) seawater fertilized with nitrate (Nit); and 3) seawater without fertilizer (Control).ResultsThe nitrogen removal rate increased from 1.67 to 2.76 mg L−1 d−1 and from 1.95 to 2.96 mg L−1 d−1 in the Nit+Amm and Nit treatments, respectively. In the two treatments, nitrogen removal efficiency varied between 87 ± 0.39 and 92 ± 0.40%. The salinity increased from 40 to 52 g L−1 of NaCl during the experiment, with no observed detrimental effects on the nitrogen removal efficiency. At the end of the crop cycle, the biomass production was not significantly different between the treatments of Nit+Amm and Nit (mean Nit+Amm = 3,584 ± 249.3 g; mean Nit 3,004 ± 249.3 g) but was different with respect to the control (mean Control = 1,527 ± 70.0 g).ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that artificial wetlands of S. neei can be used for wastewater treatment in marine aquaculture and for biomass production in South America.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.