Aquaculture Europe 2025

September 22 - 25, 2025

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Add To Calendar 23/09/2025 14:30:0023/09/2025 14:45:00Europe/ViennaAquaculture Europe 2025EVALUATION OF AEROBIC MINERALIZATION AS A TREATMENT FOR EFFLUENTS FROM AN AQUAPONIC SYSTEMSM2, VCC - Floor 2The European Aquaculture Societywebmaster@aquaeas.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYaaVZHLXMfzTRLzDrHmAi181982

EVALUATION OF AEROBIC MINERALIZATION AS A TREATMENT FOR EFFLUENTS FROM AN AQUAPONIC SYSTEM

E. Gómez Ramírez , P. D. Lara Escobar, L. F. Suárez Villamil,

 

Ecotoxicology, Evolution, Environment and Conservation Research Group, Applied Biology Program ,  Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Km 2, Cajicá-Zipaquirá Road, Colombia. Edwin.gomez@unimilitar.edu.co



 Aquaponics is a sustainable production system  that integrated techniques from both hydroponics and aquaculture. Although aquaponic systems are water-efficient, the cleaning of the clarifier leads to the loss of essential plant nutrients. Therefore, the mineralization of aquaponic effluents has been increasingly studied as a strategy to recover both water and nutrients. In this context, implementing mineralization processes in aquaponics allows the transformation of solid wastes into inorganic compounds that are highly available and efficient for plant growth.  This study aimed to evaluate aerobic mineralization as a treatment for effluents from an aquaponic system by determining nutrient dynamics and water quality parameters .  Two treatments were evaluated , each with five replicates: aerobic mineralization using filtered and unfiltered water collected from the clarifier of an aquaponic system with different lettuce varieties and  Nile tilapia. Water samples were collected over a one-month period on days 0, 7, 15, 23, and 30. The following nutrients and water quality parameters were analyzed: ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, iron, phosphate, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc, sulfate, copper, total hardness, temperature (°C), pH, dissolved oxygen (% and ppm), turbidity (FNU), conductivity (µS/cm), and total dissolved solids.  The results showed significant differences in macro- and micronutrient dynamics between the filtered and unfiltered treatments during mineralization. Between the days 15 and 23, an increase in pH from acidic to alkaline values was recorded, enhancing nutrient solubility and mineralization rates. Nitrogen mineralization showed efficient conversion from ammonium to nitrite and subsequently to nitrate, the preferred nitrogen form for plant absorption . Phosphate levels initially increased under acidic conditions but decreased as pH became alkaline. Magnesium and molybdenum concentrations were higher at low pH, while calcium, potassium, zinc, and total hardness increased under neutral to alkaline conditions. Aerobic mineralization with filtered water resulted in improved nutrient concentrations and higher nitrification rates, leading to greater nitrate availability. This study highlights that the implementation of aerobic mineralization processes in aquaponic wastewater management enhances nutrient transformation and recovery, simultaneously improving water use efficiency. CIAS  4164.