Water management applied to the processing of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in a fish cold storage warehouse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The high consumption of water and uncontrolled wastewater generation commonly seen in fish processing plants are a matter of concern. Sustainable actions must be taken to addres this issue. The present study aimed to quantify the water used in the processing of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in a fish warehouse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through water balance and mass balance at each development stage. According to the data obtained, the warehouse showed higher total water use, both in general (7,173.28±265.77m3/month), with most water use intended for processing support activities, approximately 45.00% (3,186.82±407.57m3/month); specifically, in the processing of the selected raw materials, with greater consumption of water for obtaining one kg of Dolphinfish fillets and slices, around 4.80 x 103m3/kg in both. This suggests the use of sustainable methodologies that result in decreased water consumption and in reuse of solid waste, since the three processing stages studied generated a high amount of solid waste, with emphasis to filleting in both species, with 55.00% of residual production each. The present study will also serve as the basis to other studies on the same issue in the fishing area.