| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 518.89 KB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The aquaponics biological cycle
Aquaponics has enormous potential in the regulation and recycling
of valuable nutrients, otherwise lost to the environment with
pollution potential.
Aquaponics integrates freshwater aquaculture and hydroponics in a
mini ecosystem. It uses the water of a Recirculating Aquaculture
System (RAS) in soilless plant farming. The process includes a
biofilter where nitrifying bacteria oxidize ammonia, resulting from
fish excreta or uneaten feed, into nitrates and nitrites. While fish
are extremely sensitive to ammonia, they are more tolerant to
nitrates and nitrites. Nevertheless, these need also to be removed
from the fish environment before accumulation to toxic levels.
This is where hydroponics may come in as a useful manner of
disposing nitrogen off the RAS. Nitrogen is the main macronutrient
for plant growth, therefore an indispensable element in
fertilization.
The advantages of combining a RAS with hydroponics becomes
therefore evident as a win-win solution for the problematic nitrates
of the RAS and the expensive nitrogen fertilizers of plant
production.
Description
Keywords
Aquaponics Sustainability Sustainable food production
Citation
Mata, F., & Dos-Santos, M. (2022, nov, 17). Aquaponics as a sustainable and healthy food production system for Portugal. Poster presented at 1st International Congress on Food, Nutrition & Public Health, Instituto Nacional Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal.