Onsite anaerobic treatment of aquaponics lettuce waste: digestion efficiency and nutrient recovery
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Onsite anaerobic treatment of aquaponics lettuce waste: digestion efficiency and nutrient recovery Ze Zhu 1,2 & Uri Yogev 3 & Karel J. Keesman 2 & Amit Gross 4 Received: 23 April 2020 / Accepted: 23 September 2020/ # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract
Aquaponics plant waste, such as the non-edible parts of many vegetable crops, can be a source of environmental pollution, while its treatment might cause an economic burden. Therefore, efficient use of this waste would be advantageous. This study aimed at investigating anaerobic digestion of aquqponic lettuce waste to recover nutrients and energy through biogas production. A 700 L commercial anaerobic system was used to treat lettuce wastes from an aquaponic farming system that operated under desert climate and steady-state conditions. Digestion efficiency of the lettuce waste was 90.1% by weight, producing a maximum biogas volume of 0.65 m3/kg dry weight per day. Biogas composition contained on average 59.2% methane and 38.9% CO2 with only negligible hydrogen sulfide content. Moreover, the supernatant from the anaerobic digester contained elevated nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, and Fe), which can potentially be used onsite as a fertilizer. Onsite anaerobic digestion of lettuce plant waste from the aquaponic system under summer desert conditions is demonstrated for the first time to efficiently reduce pollution burden, produce high-quality biogas, and recover nutrients. Keywords Anaerobic digestion . Aquaponics . Bioenergy recovery . Desert farming . Nutrient reuse . Waste management
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Aquaponics and Biofloc.
* Amit Gross [email protected]
1
Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990 Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
2
Mathematical and Statistical Methods—Biometris, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 Wageningen, AA, Netherlands
3
National Center for Mariculture, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, 88112 Eilat, Israel
4
Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990 Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
Aquaculture International
Introduction Aquaponics is a system of multi-trophic culture including aquaculture units in which the waste produced by the fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants that are grown hydroponically, which in turn treat the water (Goddek et al. 2019; Graber and Junge 2009; Rakocy et al. 2004). Agricultural plant waste, such as the inedible parts of cultivated plants (e.g., plant roots, leaves, and stems), is considered an environmental and economic burden on agricultural operations (Gallagher et al. 2003). Typically, in large agricultural operations, it may be treated or utilized in numerous ways such as livestock feed and soil amendments (Duncan et al. 2016). However, in small
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