Abstract
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technologies are required to meet current and future food production demand as the global population rises, arable land decreases, and minerals for fertilizer production are depleted. Hydroponics and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are intensive production methods that can provide season-independent vegetables and seafood in urban settings but are limited by a reliance on fertilizing solutions made from finite mineral reserves and the treatment and disposal costs of nutrient rich effluent, respectively. The development of a capture and reuse system where RAS effluent is solubilized to become plant-available and utilized as a hydroponic nutrient solution would aid both industries and increase food security in urban food deserts. Aerobic mineralization is used in domestic wastewater treatment to reduce solid content and solubilize particulate-bound nutrients. Preliminary studies have also shown that aerobic mineralization can be an effective method for RAS effluent treatment. Aerobic batch reactors were used to mineralize RAS effluent in this study. Suspended solids reduction achieved in the reactors was measured throughout the experiment and the plant-availability of twelve nutrients was determined before and after treatment. It was shown that aerobic mineralization can effectively reduce particulate-bound solids and solubilize nutrients to increase plant utilization in RAS effluent.
Highlights
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) optimizes environmental growth parameters for year-round fruit, vegetable, and seafood production
The 15 m3 recirculating system was comprised of a 3 m3 fish tank for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture, a rotary drum screen filter (PR Aqua model RFM2014) fitted with 54 micron screens, a 1.3 m3 mixed media bed bioreactor (MMBR) for nitrification, a 200 L pumping reservoir, a 300 L stand pipe well, and three 12.6 m2 deep water raft (DWR) beds (3.4 m3 each) for hydroponic butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) production to make up the remaining system volume
This study confirmed that aerobic treatment can significantly reduce total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and increase nutrient solubilization in aquaponic/Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) effluent
Summary
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) optimizes environmental growth parameters for year-round fruit, vegetable, and seafood production. This optimization allows greater growth rates and yields in a smaller area, with less water than traditional agricultural methods [1,2]. Extensive waste treatment and removal processes allow well-maintained RAS to reuse up to 99% of total system water daily and use between 90–99% less water than other aquaculture methods [2]. As a result of the waste removal processes, RAS generates a concentrated and nutrient rich effluent that requires additional treatment before discharge to prevent polluting natural waterways [4,5,6,7].
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