Potential of aquacultural sludge treatment for aquaponics: evaluation of nutrient mobilization under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Monsees, Hendrik; Keitel, Jonas; Paul, Maurice; Kloas, Werner; Wuertz, Sven

doi:10.3354/aei00205

Cited by 64 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There is a relatively large internet-or web-based store of aquaponic information, but much of this is anecdotal, with little scientific or technical engineering basis. Claims of increased water use efficiency compared to soil-based farming [15] are regularly made, as are claims of better sustainability and decreased environmental impact [3,[16][17][18][19]. However, little by way of comparative, scientific data are available to justify such claims.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Plant Growth Rates between an NFT Hydroponic System and an NFT Aquaponic System

Lennard

Ward

2019

Horticulturae

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A comparison of leafy green plant species' (lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), dill (Anethum graveolens L.), rocket (Eruca sativa), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), and parsley (Petroselinum crispum)) growth rates was performed between an Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)hydroponic system, using standard commercial nutrient solution, and an NFT aquaponic system, using fish waste from Grass Carp, (Ctenopharyngodon idella) which provided the majority of the nutrients required by the plants. The results demonstrated that the aquaponic method performed well, and, in many cases, the growth rates produced were similar to those of the hydroponic method. Lettuce growth was compared across three seasons (summer, winter, and spring), and, in all cases, the aquaponically-grown lettuce equalled, or bettered, the hydroponic equivalent. Herb growth was compared over a five-month period (February to June-summer/autumn), and in 17 out of 23 comparisons, the aquaponic method produced results similar to those of the hydroponic method. Thus, while the NFT method may not be the most appropriate technical approach for aquaponic integration, the results suggest that the overall aquaponic method has the potential to produce plant growth rates at least equal to those of standard hydroponics.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Plant Growth Rates between an NFT Hydroponic System and an NFT Aquaponic System

Lennard

Ward

2019

Horticulturae

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One potential solution for dealing with sludge is through improved digestion of their organic matter in order to solubilize nutrients for use in aquaponic systems. In this context, anaerobic and aerobic sludge digesters can utilize micro-organisms to break down the sludge into bioavailable nutrients that can subsequently be used for plant nutrition (Delaide et al, 2018;Monsees et al, 2017). In decoupled aquaponic systems (DAPS), as proposed by Goddek et al (2016), Goddek and Keesman (2018), bioreactors for sludge treatment can be designed to both reduce waste production and optimise nutrient re-utilisation (Goddek et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To-date, very few studies have reported on the potential of aerobic and anaerobic digestion of fish sludge as a means to recover nutrients in aquaponics systems (Delaide et al, 2018;Monsees et al, 2017). In most studies on aquaculture sludge digestion in UASBs, the main focus has been on reducing COD and producing methane (CH4) from solids (Mirzoyan et al, 2010;Mirzoyan and Gross, 2013;Van Rijn, 2013;Zhang et al, 2013) rather than the potential for recovery of macro and microelements and reduction in wastes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient mineralization and organic matter reduction performance of RAS-based sludge in sequential UASB-EGSB reactors

Goddek

Delaide

Joyce

et al. 2018

Aquacultural Engineering

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A B S T R A C TThere is a recognized need for mineralizing aquaculture-derived sludge in aquaponics systems in order to reduce waste production. Many recent studies of aquacultural waste treatment have focused only the production of biogas as opposed to the potential for mineralization of nutrient-rich sludge. Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors provide one possible solution for breaking down sludge into bioavailable nutrients that can subsequently be delivered to plants. As such, this study examines the mineralization performance of sequential UASB reactors that are designed with an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) and compared to standard aerobic and anaerobic batch reactors. Results of our experiments demonstrate that only chemical oxygen demand reduction is significantly different. An unexpected drop in pH of one of the three reactor systems revealed that a pH below 6 was able to significantly increase the mineralization and mobilization of nutrients. Approximately 25% of phosphorus, potassium, and calcium could also be recovered from the sludge under lower pH conditions, as compared to the mineralization performance of standard UASB reactors running at a higher pH. However, the opposite effect was observed with respect to organic sludge reduction, where diminished performance was observed in the low-pH reactor. The current study implies that anaerobic reactors operating at low pH can potentially contribute towards improved nutrient recovery in multi-loop aquaponics systems and reduction of additive agents for pH control of the hydroponic subsystem.

show abstract

“…; Monsees et al . ), the removal of heavy metals from water (Zheng et al . ) and reduced solid waste material (Pantanella et al .…”

Section: Economic Considerations: Do We Know ‘Whether’ Commercial Aqumentioning

confidence: 99%

Economically viable aquaponics? Identifying the gap between potential and current uncertainties

Greenfeld

Becker

McIlwain

et al. 2018

Reviews in Aquaculture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aquaponics, which integrates hydroponic farming and aquaculture, has the potential for sustainably producing high-quality food, but has yet to achieve commercial success. In recent years, however, commercial-scale aquaponics has received considerable attention from the scientific community, with the current literature covering many aspects of aquaponic production. We reviewed this literature and classified the specific areas covered by each paper and its contribution to either cost reduction or benefit enhancement. The literature regarding the economic benefits of aquaponics was summarised, and despite contradicting views of current profitability, there is a consensus that (i) larger systems are economically superior to smaller ones; (ii) profitability is sensitive to retail prices; and (iii) commercial aquaponics are more profitable through improved business plans. This review provides a quantitative scientific analysis of the bioeconomics and potential of commercial aquaponics, useful for both researchers and practitioners. We argue for greater focus on three understudied aspects that could each be a 'game changer' for commercial aquaponics. These include the following: (i) grower considerations such as financial planning and risk management that affect potential growers' initial engagement in aquaponics; (ii) consumer perception of aquaponic products including the willingness to pay more for its added value; and (iii) the economic value of the environmental benefits of aquaponic systems and ways to internalise them for profit. Further study of each of these aspects, along with the ongoing improvement of production systems, will support the establishment of large-scale aquaponics as an economically sustainable industry.

show abstract

Potential of aquacultural sludge treatment for aquaponics: evaluation of nutrient mobilization under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Cited by 64 publications

References 28 publications

A Comparison of Plant Growth Rates between an NFT Hydroponic System and an NFT Aquaponic System

A Comparison of Plant Growth Rates between an NFT Hydroponic System and an NFT Aquaponic System

Nutrient mineralization and organic matter reduction performance of RAS-based sludge in sequential UASB-EGSB reactors

Economically viable aquaponics? Identifying the gap between potential and current uncertainties

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About