Effluents quality during the grow-out phase of the amazon shrimp macrobrachium amazonicum

Abstract

In recent years shrimp culture farms have been one of the most growing sectors in aquaculture. Research has been carried out in order to establish a sustainable production maintaining profit and low environmental impact. Current investigation analyzed source and effluent water produced during the final grow-out phase of the Amazon shrimp (Macrobrachium amazonicum). Twelve natural-bottom ponds, with continuous water flow and stock density comprising 40, 60, 80 and 100 young shrimps/m² were analyzed. The experiment design comprised totally randomized blocks with four treatments and three replications. Microbiological analyses for Escherichia coli was attempted, coupled to physical and chemical analyses for pH, temperature, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand of water supply and pond effluents. Results show that whereas effluent quality complied with current legal rules, there was no significant difference between supply and effluent water for the analyzed variables and between stock densities. Under the conditions investigated and the intensification of culture in the final grow-out phase up to a density of 100 young shrimps/m², the production of M. amazonicum reveals low potential for environmental impact for the variables analyzed.

Performance of an aquaponics system using constructed semi-dry wetland with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) on treating wastewater of culture of Amazon River shrimp (Macrobrachium amazonicum)

“…In this study, we observed increases in density contributed to increases in nitrogen compounds especialy nitrate (NO 3− N). However, the total ammonia data and nitrite observed in this trial below the suggested values for the M. amazonicum cultivation Valenti 2007, 2010;Nogueira et al 2014, Zou et al 2016. Between nitrogen compounds, NO 3 -N is the end product of nitrification and also the main nutrient for plant growth in aquaponics, and thus concentration observed in the water is the equilibrium result between nitrification and plant absorption (Zou et al 2016).…”

“…But in phosphate, it possibly caused the increase of this parameter especially in the treatment with 120 shrimps, where the pH value was lower as observed by Cerozi and Fitzsimmons (2016) that recommended pH in aquaponics systems at a 5.5-7.2 range for optimal availability and uptake by plants. However, phospate and nitrogen compound (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) concentrations are related to the addition of feed in the Macrobrachium amazonicum culture tanks, which generate many organic wastes (non-consumed feed, feces, and others) in the sediment (Nogueira et al 2014).…”