CHARACTERIZATION OF AQUACULTURE EFFLUENTS FORIN SITU TREATMENT AND REUSE

Freshwater aquaculture effluents are an important source of organic matter, suspendedsolids and nutrients if they are discharged in the aquatic environment without priortreatment. In order to propose a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS, a system thatintegrates the treatment and the recycling of water in the process), the effluents from apolyculture farming system were characterized physicochemically and microbiologically.The effluents exceeded the reuse guideline values suggested for total suspended solids,BOD5 and total Kjeldhal nitrogen. However, the composition of the effluent indicated thatthe biological treatment is an economical and feasible way to meet the guidelines for RAS.Also, it was observed that an external input of biodegradable carbon is necessary for thefull removal of nitrogen (i.e., involving nitrification and denitrification).