A device that converts aqueous ammonia into nitrogen gas

A photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PECO)³ device was developed for converting aqueous ammonia into nitrogen gas. The device uses a germicidal UV lamp to activate a titania (TiO₂)-coated anode (photoanode) that is connected to a titanium or platinum wire cathode to form an electrolytic cell. When a small bias (2 V DC) was applied between the anode and cathode, ammonia (−3 oxidation state) was oxidized primarily into nitrogen gas (0 oxidation state) rather than nitrite (+3 oxidation state) or nitrate (+5 oxidation state). The ammonia oxidation rate changed as a function of the crystalline structure of the titania coating on the anode, the salinity of the water, the applied voltage, and the disruption of boundary layers near the photoanode surface. There was no ammonia removal in water without at least some NaCl in solution, suggesting that the device works by converting chloride ions into chlorine and hypochlorous acid, which then react with ammonia to form nitrogen gas. Varying the pH between pH = 5 and pH = 10 had no effect on the rate of ammonia removal. A continuous flow-through PECO reactor was tested using aquariums spiked with ammonium chloride or stocked with seawater-adapted tilapia fed a high protein diet, and found to effectively remove ammonia and limit nitrite and nitrate accumulation in the tanks.     

Potential applications of indirect electrochemical ammonia oxidation within the operation of freshwater and saline-water recirculating aquaculture systems

The paper addresses two potential applications for electrochemical ammonia oxidation within the operation of recirculating aquaculture systems, in which nearly complete removal of N species is required. In one described application, a physical–chemical ammonia oxidation method is suggested to entirely replace conventional biological treatment methods (i.e. nitrification/denitrification). The second described method is suggested as a final polishing step for removing ammonia from effluents of denitrification reactors supplied with intrinsic organic matter, prior to the discharge of the water. Empirical results and cost assessment are reported for the second alternative, while the first, which was recently published, is discussed with respect to improvements, operational conditions and field tests required to induce its commercial application. The polishing alternative was shown capable of efficiently removing TAN in the effluents of RAS denitrification reactors fed with intrinsic organic solids. The cost for treating denitrification reactor effluents with TAN concentration of 10 mgN/L was estimated at 6.67 cent/m³ of discharged water. Since the chloride ion concentration in seawater and in most brackish waters is high, combining the intrinsic organic carbon denitrification process with subsequent ammonia polishing by electrochemically produced active chlorine may be a competitive approach for the removal of nitrogen species from seawater and brackish water RAS.     

Chlorogenic acid attenuates inflammation,oxidative stress,apoptosis and protects head kidney macrophage of yellow catfish from ammonia toxicity

Ammonia is the most common contaminants found in aquaculture water that seriously endangers fish health. However, there are few studies on the strategy and mechanism on alleviating ammonia toxicity in fish. The current study aimed to observe the cytotoxic effects of ammonia and the protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on head kidney macrophage of yellow catfish from the perspective of inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. The cells were randomized into normal control, ammonia group (0.23 mg L^?1), CGA group (125 µmol L^?1), CGA (5, 25, 125 µmol L^?1) + ammonia (0.23 mg L^?1) groups. Cells were pretreated with CGA for 1 h followed by ammonia for 24 h. Findings suggested that ammonia treatment reduced cell viability, increased ROS production, up-regulated antioxidant (SOD, GPx) and pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, COX-2, NF-κB p65) genes expression, down-regulated the mRNA levels of M2-type macrophage marker (Arg-1) and anti-apoptosis (Bcl-2), and CGA attenuated the toxic effects of ammonia. The findings may provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of ammonia toxicity and suggest that CGA can be used as a potential natural supplement to alleviate ammonia toxicity in fish.     

Effects of abrupt salinity increase on nitrification processes in a freshwater moving bed biofilter

The nitrification process is a widely used biological approach responsible for ammonia and nitrite removal in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) biofilters. Given this pivotal role, the influence of different water quality parameter on nitrification efficiency is important information for RAS operations. One influencing parameter is salinity, and salinity fluctuations in freshwater RAS biofilters are reported to affect the nitrifying bacteria. This study investigated the effects of abrupt increase in salinity in freshwater RAS on substrate-dependent (1’-order) as well as substrate independent (0’-order) nitrification rates. A 100% inhibition was found for surface specific removal (STR) of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and surface specific nitrite removal (SNR) when salinity was abruptly increased to 25‰ and above. A fast turnover (i.e. steep decline in [NH₄-N⁺] and [NO₂-N⁻]) were observed at lower salinities (≤10‰), while limited/no degradation of either ammonia or nitrite was seen at salinities above 25‰. At low substrate loading (1’-order process), removal rate constants (k_1a) of 0.22 and 0.23 m d^-1 were observed for ammonia and nitrite degradation, respectively, declining to 0.01 m d^-1when adding marine RAS water increasing the salinity to 15‰. Similar observations followed at high nutrient loadings (0’-order process) with STR and SNR of 0.10 and 0.12 g N m^-2 d^-1, respectively, declining to 0.01 g N m^-2 d^-1 at 15‰. When salinities of 25‰ and 35‰ were applied, neither TAN nor nitrite degradation was seen. The results thus demonstrate a pronounced effect of salinity changes when freshwater RAS biofilters are subjected to fast/abrupt changes in salinity. RAS facility operators should be aware of such potential effects and take relevant precautions.     

Influence of diet and feeding strategy on the performance of nitrifying trickling filter,oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) raised in recirculating aquaculture systems

Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) was raised in six individual recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) whose biofilters’ performance was analyzed. Fish were fed with three different diets (a control diet, a fishmeal-based diet (FM), and a plant meal-based diet (VM)) and with three different feeding strategies (manual feeding to apparent satiation, automatic feeding with restricted ration, and auto-demand feeding). For every combination of diet and feeding strategy, the mean oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, and ammonia removal rate were determined. Fish fed with the VM diet consumed the most oxygen (20.06?±?1.80 gO₂ consumed kg^?1 day^?1). There were significant differences in ammonia excretion depending on the protein content and protein efficiency of the diet, as well as depending on feeding strategy, which in turn affected ammonia removal rates. Fish fed by auto-demand feeders led to the highest mean ammonia removal rate (0.10 gN-TAN removed m^?2 biofiltration area day^?1), while not leading to peaks of high ammonia concentration in water, which preserve fish welfare and growth.

     

Aquaculture wastewater quality improvement by water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsskal) floating bed and ecological benefit assessment in ecological agriculture district

The current ecological situation of aquaculture water quality in Wushe (Songjiang district, Shanghai city) district is not up to mark. In the present study, characteristic of ecological agriculture park was first investigated and then water spinach floating bed was used to improve the aquaculture wastewater quality. The results showed significant improvement in the aquaculture water quality at the experimental site with removal rates of TN, NH₄⁺-N, NO₂⁻-N and TP were 11.2%, 60.0%, 60.2% and 27.3%, respectively. Moreover, we found that the removal mechanism of ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen by water spinach was mostly by microorganism, whereas the removal mechanism of phosphorus was mainly by plant absorption. In addition, water spinach could be harvested at regular time intervals, which could achieve good economic benefits. This research could provide a good case study for sustainable development in ecological agricultural park for other cities around the world.     

Water quality upstream and downstream of a commercial oyster aquaculture facility in Chesapeake Bay,USA

Oyster aquaculture is an expanding industry in the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the water column through filtration and conversion of phytoplankton into shell and tissue, but also continuously excrete these same nutrients back into the water column as inorganic compounds readily available for plant or algal uptake. The objective of this study was to assess multiple water quality parameters upstream and downstream of a commercial oyster aquaculture facility in the mesohaline region of the Chesapeake Bay. Results of the study indicated a 78.4% average increase in total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration and a 19.4% decrease in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration downstream of the facility. There was no significant change in the concentration of reactive phosphate (RP), nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃⁻–N), or nitrite–nitrogen (NO₂⁻–N) as water passed through the facility. It was determined that velocity of water through the facility had no influence on the change in TAN or Chl-a concentration from upstream to downstream of the facility. Increased reduction in Chl-a concentration from upstream to downstream was related to higher upstream concentrations of Chl-a. There was no correlation between increased rates of Chl-a removal and downstream TAN. Results of this study suggest that oyster aquaculture can significantly increase the amount of available inorganic nitrogen in the water column immediately downstream of a facility, independent of upstream availability of phytoplankton and flow velocity of water through the facility.     

A quantitative method for detecting ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria in coastal aquaculture systems

There is a need to quantify autotrophic nitrifiers in coastal aquaculture systems for evolving a bioremediation strategy. Autotrophic nitrifiers are extremely slow‐growing organisms, which cannot be detected by traditional methods as they are notoriously difficult to culture. Molecular techniques based on functional genes could be deployed for the detection of nitrifiers. Ammonia monooxygenase (amoA), that catalyses the oxidation of ammonia to hydroxylamine in the rate‐determining step of nitrification is largely unique to ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB). In the present study, a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay targeting amoA was developed to estimate AOB population size in coastal soil, ammonia‐removing bioaugmentors and the solid matrix. To achieve this objective, different set of primers and a dual labelled probe have been designed for SYBR Green and TaqMan real‐time assays. The abundance of AOB ranged from 10⁴ to 10⁶ order of magnitude in the samples. In the present study, biofilm formation of the consortium of nitrifying bacteria onto bagasse has also been quantified. The results demonstrate that the developed method is a rapid and sensitive tool for the quantitative detection of nitrifying bacteria in aquatic and related environment. This helps in making the bioremediation approach for ammonia removal by immobilization of nitrifying bacteria onto the natural substrate.     

In situ hypochlorous acid generation for the treatment of brackish shrimp aquaculture wastewater

This study presents an unconventional framework for treating shrimp aquaculture wastewater based on in situ hypochlorous acid (HOCl) oxidation. The in situ oxidation process makes use of the salinity present in aquaculture wastewater to generate HOCl. The undivided electrolytic cell consisted of two sets of graphite as the anode and stainless sheets as the cathode. The electrochemical oxidation of shrimp aquaculture wastewater was carried out for an influent COD concentration of 1730 mg L^?1 at current densities of 37.2 and 74.5 mA cm^?2. The results showed that in order to achieve a residual COD concentration of 50±5 mg L^?1 at current densities of 37.2 and 74.5 mA cm^?2, electrolysis periods of 60 and 30 min are required respectively. Hence, for the above‐mentioned current densities, the corresponding energy requirements were found to be 19.4 and 13.3 W h L^?1. The cost incurred in treating 1 m³ of shrimp aquaculture wastewater was found to be RM 4 and 3 when the electrolytic reactor was operated at a current density of 37.2 and 74.5 mA cm^?2 with a salinity of 23‰. The foregoing study highlights the potential of in situ HOCl oxidation in treating brackish shrimp aquaculture wastewater.     

The effects of light and temperature on the photosynthesis of the Asparagopsis armata tetrasporophyte (Falkenbergia rufolanosa), cultivated in tanks

The integrated aquaculture of the tetrasporophyte of Asparagopsis armata Harvey (Falkenbergia rufolanosa) using fish farm effluents may be viable due to the species high capacity of removing nutrients and its content of halogenated organic compounds with applications on the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In order to optimize the integrated aquaculture of F. rufolanosa, we followed the daily variation of the potential quantum yield (F_v/F_m) of PSII on plants cultivated at different biomass densities and different total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) fluxes to check if they are photoinhibited at any time of the day. Moreover, the photoinhibition under continuous exposure to highly saturating irradiance and its potential for subsequent recovery in the shade was assessed. The potential for year round cultivation was evaluated by measuring rates of O₂ evolution of plants acclimated at temperatures ranging from 15 to 29 °C, the temperature range of a fish farm effluent in southern Portugal where an integrated aquaculture system of F. rufolanosa was constructed.Photoinhibition does not seem to be a major constrain for the integrated aquaculture of F. rufolanosa. Only when cultivated at a very low density of 1.5 g fresh weight (FW) l^− 1 that there was a midday decrease in maximal quantum yield (F_v/F_m). At densities higher than 4 g FW l^− 1, no photoinhibition was observed. When exposed to full solar irradiance for 1 h, F. rufolanosa showed a 33% decrease in F_v/F_m, recovering to 86% of the initial value after 2 h in the shade. A midday decline of the F. rufolanosa F_v/F_m was also observed under the lowest TAN flux tested (∼6 μM h^− 1), suggesting that this fast and easy measurement of fluorescence may be used as a convenient diagnostic tool to detect nutrient-starved unbalance conditions of the cultures. Maximum net photosynthesis peaked at 15 °C with 9.7 mg O₂ g dry weight (DW)^− 1 h^− 1 and remained high until 24 °C. At 29 °C, the net oxygen production was significantly reduced due to a dramatic increase of respiration, suggesting this to be the species' lethal temperature threshold.Results indicate that F. rufolanosa has a considerable photosynthetic plasticity and confirm it as a good candidate for integrated aquaculture at temperatures up to 24° C and cultivation densities of at least 5 g FW l^− 1. When cultivated at these densities, light does not penetrate below the first few centimetres of the surface zone. Plants circulate within the tanks, spending around 10% of the time in the first few centimetres where they are able to use efficiently the saturating light levels without damaging their photosynthetic apparatus.     

Root nitrification capacity of lettuce plants with application to aquaponics

Aquaculture and hydroponics have experienced significant growth and market presence in recent years. While aquaponics, the combination of fish and plant culture systems, is beginning to experience the same exponential growth and interest that hydroponics did many years ago, very little information is available on sizing and design of these systems. Incorporation of hydroponic plants with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) aids in removal of ammonia/ammonium based wastes, thus reducing the need for water discharge to control water quality. Surface only nitrification rates were quantified to be 0.83g/m²/day for inert surfaces and 0.20/m²/day for root surfaces. Direct assimilation of ammonia by the lettuce plants was less than 2% of the total ammonia and ammonium nitrogen (TAN) removed from the culture water, with the remainder being removal by oxidation of TAN into nitrate.     

Nutrient removal efficiency of Hydropuntia cornea in an integrated closed recirculation system with pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis

In this study, we have tested the effect of seaweed stocking density in an experimental seaweed biofilter using the economically important red seaweed Hydropuntia cornea integrated with the cultivation of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis. Nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated in relation to seaweed stocking density (2.5, 4, 6 and 8 g fw L^?1). Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) was the main nitrogen source excreted by F. brasiliensis, with concentrations ranging from 41.6 to 65 μM of NH₄⁺‐N. H. cornea specific growth rates ranged from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 1.4 ± 0.5% day^?1 with lowest growth rates at higher seaweed stocking density (8 g fw L^?1). Nutrient removal was positively correlated with the cultivation densities in the system. TAN removal efficiency increased from 61 to 88.5% with increasing seaweed stocking density. Changes in the chemical composition of the seaweed were analysed and correlated with nutrient enrichment from shrimp effluent. The red seaweed H. cornea can be cultured and used to remove nutrients from shrimp effluents in an integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture system applied to a closed recirculation system. Recirculation through seaweed biofilters in land‐based intensive aquaculture farms can also be a tool to increase recirculation practices and establish full recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) with all their known associated benefits.     

Ammonia distribution and excretion in fish

This paper reviews the literature concerning ammonia production, storage and excretion in fish. Ammonia is the end product of protein catabolism and is stored in the body of fish in high concentrations relative to basal excretion rates. Ammonia, if allowed to accumulate, is toxic and is converted to less toxic compounds or excreted. Like other weak acids and bases, ammonia is distributed between tissue compartments in relation to transmembrane pH gradients. NH₃ is generally equilibrated between compartments but NH₄ ⁺ is distributed according to pH. Ammonia is eliminated from the blood upon passage through the gills. The mechanisms of branchial ammonia excretion vary between different species of fish and different environments, and primarily involves NH₃ passive diffusion and NH₄ ⁺/Na⁺ exchange. Water chemistry near the gill surface may also be important to ammonia excretion, but a more accurate measurement of the NH₃ gradient across the gill epithelium is required before a more detailed analysis of NH₃ and NH₄ ⁺ excretion can be made.     

Environmental persistence of chlorine from prawn farm discharge monitored by measuring the light reactions of photosynthesis of phytoplankton

Chlorine (reactive chlorine: Cl₂+OCl^?) is used as a disinfectant on prawn farms but the environmental effects of discharged chlorine is of environmental concern. Toxicity of chlorine on prawn farm phytoplankton populations was monitored using the pulse amplitude fluorometer technique to measure phytoplankton photosynthesis. The dominant phytoplankton species found in the ponds of a prawn farm in Pang-Nga Province (Thailand) were Chlorella sp. (>95 %), with some Tetraselmis and Chaetoceros. Cells were suspended in clean sea water with (chlorine) of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 ppm, respectively, in short-term experiments for 10 min (ST) and for long-term (24 h) exposure. Photosynthesis of Chlorella, Tetraselmis and Chaetoceros in clean sea water was inhibited by 50 % at (chlorine) of 4.68 ± 0.6, 7.26 ± 1.14 and 7.81 ± 0.78 ppm (mean ± SEM), respectively, in ST experiments. The chlorine consuming reactions with the large amounts of dissolved organic matter and ammonia in prawn farm pond water decreases toxicity but would form organochlorines and chloramine. Thiosulphate, often used to neutralise chlorine, was found to be of very limited toxicity to Chlorella in both short-term 1-h and 24-h experiments (up to ≈500 mmol m^?3, 124 ppm). Environmental effects of Chlorine in discharges from ponds are short term. Chlorine quickly disappears in the environment, particularly during daylight and so only has effects close to effluent points. Standard practice was to discharge on a falling tide in daylight. The long effluent channel (1 km) also ensured that very little reactive chlorine reached the estuary.     

A novel approach for ammonia removal from fresh-water recirculated aquaculture systems,comprising ion exchange and electrochemical regeneration

A new physico-chemical process for ammonia removal from fresh-water recirculated aquaculture systems (RASs) is introduced. The method is based on separating NH₄⁺ from RAS water through an ion-exchange resin, which is subsequently regenerated by simultaneous chemical desorption and indirect electrochemical ammonia oxidation. Approach advantages include (1) only slight temperature dependence and no dependence on bacterial predators and chemical toxins; (2) no startup period is required and the system can be switched on and off at will; and (3) the fish are grown in much lower bacterial concentration, making the potential for both disease and off-flavor, lower. A small pilot scale RAS was operated for 51 d for proving the concept. The system was stocked by 105 tilapia fish (initial weight 35.8 g). The fish, which were maintained at high TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) concentrations (10–23 mgN L⁻¹) and fish density of up to 20 kg m⁻³, grew at a rate identical to their established growth potential. NH_3(aq) concentrations in the fish tank were maintained lower than the assumed toxicity threshold (0.1 mgN L⁻¹) by operating the pond water at low pH (6.5–6.7). The low pH resulted in efficient CO₂ air stripping, and low resultant CO_2(aq) concentrations (<7 mg L⁻¹). Due to efficient solids removal, no nitrification was observed in the fish tank and measured nitrite and nitrate concentrations were very low. The system was operated successfully, first at 10% and then at 5% daily makeup water exchange rate. The normalized operational costs, calculated based on data derived from the pilot operation, amounted to 28.7 $ cent per kg fish feed. The volume of the proposed process was calculated to be ∼13 times smaller than that of a typical RAS biofilter. The results show the process to be highly feasible from both the operational and economical standpoints.     

Microbial valorization of solid wastes from a recirculating aquaculture system and the relevant microbial functions

This study was performed to establish valorization technology for solid wastes from a seawater recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) by using beneficial microorganisms. An efficient microbial agent (KBM-1) was selected based on the degradation activity of the RAS solid wastes (20% slurry) in a lab-scale reactor system considering the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand, solid material, total nitrogen, ammonium-N, and nitrate-N and the production of organic acids as electron donors for denitrification. The microbial consortium KBM-1 was particularly efficient in the removal of ammonium-N and nitrate-N with removal efficiencies of 42% and 50%, respectively, in eight days and in the rapid production of organic acids (230 mg L⁻¹, 3.5 mM, 0.018 kg m⁻³ d⁻¹) after two days. There was a concomitant removal of NO₃--N (41%, 0.005 kg N m⁻³ d⁻¹) after two days when a significant production of organic acids occurred. Comamonas sp. was a dominant genus after eight days in all treatments. The level of nitrate-N in the treatments with KBM-1 decreased by 50.4% after eight days, as opposed to that of the control sample (27.7%), indicating the potential denitrification activity of Citrobacter freundii and Comamonas sp. The bioaugmented species (Sporolactobacillus inulinus, Lactobacillus mali, Lactobacillus casei, and Clostridium tyrobutyricum), constituting 41% of the total communities, appeared to facilitate the growth of indigenous microbial communities that were involved in the degradation (hence valorization) of solid wastes (mostly remaining fish feed and fish feces) into simple metabolites (organic acids and inorganic materials such as ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, and CO₂). The simultaneous generation of organic acids through the valorization of solid wastes and their subsequent reuse in the denitrification of an RAS biofilter system can provide a significant contribution to the eco-friendly management of RASs and provide meaningful economic merit to the solid wastes of RASs.     

生物—电氧化法去除海水养殖循环水污染物

为提高海水养殖循环水处理效率,降低处理成本,本研究采用曝气生物滤器与电化学阳极氧化组合工艺,考察了不同阳极电势、进水氨氮和亚硝酸盐浓度下系统对氨氮及亚硝酸盐等污染物的去除效果,研究了微生物与工作电极之间的相互作用,并分析了电化学反应能耗。在水力停留时间为45 min、1.4 V阳极电压、进水氨氮和亚硝酸盐浓度分别为4.5和1.3 mg/L条件下,生物—电氧化法对氨氮去除率达88.8%,高出对照组7.6%,出水氨氮和亚硝酸盐浓度分别为0.5和0.9 mg/L,COD去除率为88.2%,高出对照组19.4%,平均能耗0.040 kWh/m~3,电极表面微生物生长对阳极电氧化过程有促进作用,微生物功能预测显示实验组硝化功能占比为0.03%,对照组为0.07%。研究表明,生物—电氧化法对海水养殖循环水的污染物有良好的去除效果,具有一定的发展应用潜力。     

Assessment of AquaMats for removing ammonia in intensive commercial Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei aquaculture systems

AquaMats are high surface–area polymer filters whose use produces higher yields with reduced health risks for the aquaculture product. We used AquaMats in pilot-scale systems and in intensive commercial Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei production systems to stabilize and improve water quality by removing ammonia. In the pilot-scale systems, evaluation of the effects of temperature and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on ammonia removal rate indicated that the surface total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) conversion rate (STR, mg TAN/m²-day) increased with increasing temperature and decreasing HRT. The highest STR of 319.8 mg TAN/m²-day was observed at a temperature of 30 °C and a HRT of 5 min. In the commercial shrimp production systems, ammonia levels were significantly greater in the control systems (without AquaMats) than in the treatment systems (with AquaMats) after 6 days (P < 0.05). Results suggested that eight 150 cm × 90 cm pieces of AquaMats (0.057 m² surface area per m³ culture volume) were sufficient for promoting nitrification in this system. The growth rate of juvenile shrimp was most enhanced in treatment C (with 12 pieces of AquaMats, 0.085 m²/m³), which exhibited a significant decrease in ammonia.     

Acute toxicity of ammonia in Pacu fish (Piaractus mesopotamicus,Holmberg, 1887) at different temperatures levels

Piaractus mesopotamicus juveniles (total length 12 ± 0.5 mm) were exposed to different concentrations of ammonia‐N (un‐ionized plus ionized ammonia as nitrogen), using the static renewal method at different temperature levels (15, 20 and 25°C) at pH 7. The 24, 48, 72, 96 h LC₅₀ values of ammonia‐N in P. mesopotamicus juveniles were 5.32, 4.19, 3.79 and 2.85 mg L^?1 at 15°C; 4.81, 3.97, 3.25 and 2.50 mg L^?1 at 20°C; and 4.16, 3.79, 2.58 and 1.97 mg L^?1 at 25°C respectively. The 24, 48, 72, 96 h LC₅₀ values of NH₃‐N (un‐ionized ammonia as nitrogen) were 0.018, 0.014, 0.013, 0.009 mg L^?1 at 15°C temperature; 0.023, 0.019, 0.016 and 0.012 mg L^?1 at 20°C; 0.029, 0.026, 0.018 and 0.014 mg L^?1 at 25°C. The temperature increase from 15 to 25°C caused an increase of ammonia‐N susceptibility by 21.80%, 9.55%, 31.92% and 30.87%, after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h exposure respectively. Furthermore, we found that exposure of fish to ammonia‐N caused an elevation in total haemoglobin and blood glucose with an increase of 2 mg L^?1 concentration. Ammonia levels tolerated, especially in different temperatures levels, have important implications for the management of aquaculture.     

Coagulation of phosphorous and organic matter from marine,land-based recirculating aquaculture system effluents

Saline effluents from marine land-based aquaculture production can neither be disposed in common municipal wastewater treatment plants, nor disposed as landfill. Furthermore, stricter environmental regulations require the reduction of phosphorous and organic matter levels from marine environment discharges to minimize eutrophication. Chemical coagulation with FeCl₃ and AlSO₄ is commonly used for removing phosphorous and suspended solids in wastewater treatment. The capacity of these coagulants for creating particle aggregations depends on the characteristics and chemistry of the treated wastewater, such as the ionic strength or mixing conditions. Marine water has a higher ionic strength than fresh or brackish water, which may be beneficial when using chemical coagulants to treat the effluents from farms operated at high salinities. The following study compared the application of FeCl₃ and AlSO₄, to treat the two effluents discharged from a marine land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) producing salmon (Salmo salar). The aim of the study was to determine; 1) in what effluent (sludge flow vs. exchange water overflow) at the end-of-pipe treatment the coagulant application is more efficient for the removal of PO₄³⁻-P, total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorous (TP) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD); and 2) the optimal coagulant dose to apply and its associated chemical sludge production. The results show that more than 89 % removal of TCOD, TSS and TP is achieved when treating the sludge flow, arguably because the sludge flow contained the largest fraction of the target masses (P and organic matter) discharged from the system. Up to 80 % of TSS removal was achieved by simple sedimentation, and with the highest coagulant dose tested, up to 95 % of TSS could be removed from the effluent. To remove 90 % of PO₄³⁻-P, FeCl₃ and AlSO₄ need to be dosed at a molar ratio of 2.6:1 Fe:PO₄³⁻-P and 5.7:1 Al: PO₄³⁻-P, respectively. Dosing above 90 % removal efficiency did not significantly affect removal of PO₄³-P and TSS, but substantially increased the volume of chemical sludge produced. Finally, FeCl₃ is proposed as a better overall alternative for P removal at the end-of-pipe treatment in marine land-based RAS.