Wastewater Valorisation in Sustainable Productive Systems: Aquaculture, Urban, and Swine Farm Effluents Hydroponics
Source abstract
Abstract
The agricultural sector faces significant challenges related to climate change and population growth, which intensify pressure on natural resources and food security. Sustainable resource-efficient systems, alongside wastewater valorisation, are a promising solution. This study evaluated the reuse potential of aquaculture, urban, and swine farm wastewater in hydroponic cultivation. Trials with leafy vegetables and fruit crops were conducted in aquaponic systems containing two fish species (Koi carp and African catfish) and two small-scale hydroponic systems. Water quality, plant development, and environmental parameters were monitored. Results for the best performance scenarios within each cultivation system showed that in urban wastewater, strawberries yielded 183 ± 74 g/plant, exceeding yields in aquaponics (125 ± 60 g/plant). Lettuce performed better in swine farm wastewater (180 ± 39 g/plant) than in urban (65 ± 6 g/plant), with corresponding water-use efficiencies of 117 and 65 g/L. Aquaponics also supported stable yields, up to 108 ± 1 g/plant for lamb’s lettuce and 10,047 ± 8791 g of papaya fruit per plant. Nutrient recovery in hydroponic systems supplied with urban and swine farm wastewater reached up to 95% for N, P, and K. Overall, these systems demonstrated substantially lower water consumption compared with values commonly reported for conventional agriculture, underscoring their strong sustainability advantages.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems · Coastal Management and Development · Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
LSRE-LCM—Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering—Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET—Aquatic Research Network, ESTM—School of Tourism and Marine Technology, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-614 Peniche, Portugal
School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
Funding
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES
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