The use of a tilapia hybrid to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Emily E. Blalock (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
- Advisor
- Larry Cahoon
Abstract: This study examined the ability of a fish-periphyton system to remove nitrogen
and phosphorus from wastewater. Other studies have shown that systems such as this are
capable of removing nutrients; however, they either lacked controls, used fish of mixed
age classes, or consisted of only one trial. The goal of this study was to use a one-tank
system instead of a series of tanks to examine removal, as well as to compare the removal
efficiencies of juvenile and adult fish. Three trials were conducted in the summer of
2003 consisting of three weeks each. Influent flowed in and out of each tank separately
(as opposed to a series of tanks as in other studies) and was received by three treatments:
algae alone as a control, tanks of 10 adults weighing an average of 100g each, and tanks
of 100 juveniles weighing 1g each. Reduction of nitrogen in the influent occurred at an
overall rate of 142g day-1 tank-1 for algae alone, 70.1g day-1 tank-1 for juveniles, and an
effluent increase of 44.4g day-1 tank-1 for adults. Total phosphorus was not removed on
average by any treatment, possibly due to the tanks not being run in an interconnected
series. This study suggests that if fish are to be used in a wastewater treatment system,
juveniles would be more efficient at removing nitrogen than adults.
The use of a tilapia hybrid to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater
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Created on 1/1/2009
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- Fish culture--Water reuse, Sewage--Purification, Sewage--Removal of nitrogen, Sewage--Removal of phosphorus, Tilapia, Water--Purification--Biological treatment
- Subjects
- Sewage -- Purification
- Sewage -- Removal of nitrogen
- Sewage -- Removal of phosphorus
- Tilapia
- Fish culture -- Water reuse
- Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment