Navigating towards Decoupled Aquaponic Systems: A System Dynamics Design Approach

Goddek, Simon; Espinal, Carlos; Delaide, Boris; Jijakli, M. Haïssam; Schmautz, Zala; Wuertz, Sven; Keesman, Karel J.

doi:10.3390/w8070303

Cited by 121 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 64 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…The few facilities with high fish production seemed to be tending towards decoupled systems where waste-water can be alternatively given to plants or passed through a biofilter [9]. Most of the current aquaponic units were new and funded by government subsidies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of Aquaponics in Europe

Villarroel

Junge

Kőmíves

et al. 2016

Water

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Abstract:International aquaponic production has increased over the past decade, but less is known about research activities and production facilities operating in Europe. We conducted an online survey to get a better idea about research and production in Europe, focusing on five areas of aquaponics (i.e., demographics, facilities used, fish and crops produced, funding sources, and personal or company priorities for further development). The 68 respondents were distributed among 21 European countries, 43% were working at a university, and 19% were commercial producers. Only 11.8% of those surveyed had sold fish or plants in the past 12 months. Most respondents were male (66.2%) and had a post-graduate degree (91.7%). Facilities were generally new (74.5% constructed after 2010) and self-designed. Production figures were modest, with less than 10 respondents producing more than 1000 kg of fish or plants per year (mostly tilapia or catfish and herbs or lettuce). Systems were often funded by government grants (35.3%). The great majority of respondents (80.4%) stated that aquaponics was not their main source of income. Most respondents prioritized using aquaponics for educational purposes, while few (25%) used it to produce their own food or improve their health. Questions related to personal knowledge about aquaponics underlined the need for more training about fish diseases and plant pests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of Aquaponics in Europe

Villarroel

Junge

Kőmíves

et al. 2016

Water

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“…In a recent paper, Neto and Ostrensky [76] proposed that 17% of the feed input for nitrogen and 37% for phosphorus is lost as nutrients from the faeces in Nile tilapia reared in cages. Although the data of Neto and Ostrensky [76] were based on cage breeding systems, recently Goddek et al [26] observed similar values in RAS. Certainly, the species affects the entity of these losses, which are affected also by the physiological stage within the species.…”

Section: Wastes and Faecesmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Most plants require a pH value between 5.5 and 6.5 to enhance the uptake of nutrients. However, the optimal pH of three major bacteria has been stated as (1) Nitrobacter: 7.5; (2) Nitrosomonas: 7.0-7.5; and (3) Nitrospira: 8.0-8.3 [26]. However, in terms of the tolerance of fish to pH changes based on fish species and size, the recommended pH for aquaculture is 6.5-8.5 [27].…”

Section: Water Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish Welfare in Aquaponic Systems: Its Relation to Water Quality with an Emphasis on Feed and Faeces—A Review

Yıldız

Robaina

Pirhonen

et al. 2017

Water

164

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Abstract:Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish) and hydroponic cultivation of plants. This review examines fish welfare in relation to rearing water quality, fish feed and fish waste and faeces to develop a sustainable aquaponic system where the co-cultured organisms, fish, bacteria in biofilters and plants, should be considered holistically in all aquaponics operations. Water quality parameters are the primary environmental consideration for optimizing aquaponic production and for directly impacting fish welfare/health issues and plant needs. In aquaponic systems, the uptake of nutrients should be maximised for the healthy production of the plant biomass but without neglecting the best welfare conditions for the fish in terms of water quality. Measures to reduce the risks of the introduction or spread of diseases or infection and to increase biosecurity in aquaponics are also important. In addition, the possible impacts of allelochemicals, i.e., chemicals released by the plants, should be taken into account. Moreover, the effect of diet digestibility, faeces particle size and settling ratio on water quality should be carefully considered. As available information is very limited, research should be undertaken to better elucidate the relationship between appropriate levels of minerals needed by plants, and fish metabolism, health and welfare. It remains to be investigated whether and to what extent the concentrations of suspended solids that can be found in aquaponic systems can compromise the health of fish. Water quality, which directly affects fish health and well-being, is the key factor to be considered in all aquaponic systems.

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“…The results achieved from the operation of the pilot units [3] and other EU-funded projects [6,7] show that the circular models offer resource efficient food production by closing the water cycle for reuse of nutrients-producing fish and plants in an integrated system. However, due to the differences in optimum environmental parameters for the fish and plants, there is a need to decouple the two production systems in competitive commercial-scale systems (Figure 1).…”

Section: Pilot Casementioning

confidence: 99%

Direct Use of Geothermal Resources for Circular Food Production

Thorarinsdottir

Unnþórsson

2018

The 18th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics

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Abstract:The objectives of the work are to increase the direct use of geothermal resources for circular food production systems. The focus is on circular agricultural production processes: combining recirculating aquaculture systems and hydroponics into one system, including water treatment and waste recovery processes. The main outputs are vegetables, fish, fertilizers and potentially, algae and biogas. These outputs can generate revenue streams that can cover the costs of heat extraction while supporting viable businesses. The results and conclusions from a pilot case that was conducted in Iceland in recent years are presented, and the next steps are discussed. The pilot setup is now in the process of expansion to a semi-commercial production unit. However, there are still scientific, technical and commercial challenges to be solved. The scientific challenges are interdisciplinary and relate mainly to the optimization of the overall production system. Optimization involves creating good environmental conditions for each production unit while maintaining optimal oxygen, carbon dioxide, relevant pH and temperature levels and supplying all necessary nutrients. Additionally, accumulation of salts or other unwanted substances must be prevented. The primary technical challenges are to develop the circular food production system for optimized production while controlling the expenditure of energy, water, nutrients and manpower resources. Optimization also involves careful choices of species and the integration of new ideas into the value chain, both of which increase the synergy between the different components of the system. Furthermore, energy efficiency needs to be improved through using excess heat for other parts of the system and developing enhanced heating and cooling cycles. The aim is to transform the semi-commercial unit into a showcase model for solving commercial challenges while presenting a feasible business model for installing and operating a geothermal well for circular food production, making the most use of all available resources, securing optimum production conditions and minimizing waste.

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Navigating towards Decoupled Aquaponic Systems: A System Dynamics Design Approach

Cited by 121 publications

References 64 publications

Survey of Aquaponics in Europe

Survey of Aquaponics in Europe

Fish Welfare in Aquaponic Systems: Its Relation to Water Quality with an Emphasis on Feed and Faeces—A Review

Direct Use of Geothermal Resources for Circular Food Production

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