Cited by 67Algal biology and biofuel productionWastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalInnovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems

Bioremediation of Coastal Aquaculture Effluents Spiked with Florfenicol Using Microalgae-Based Granular Sludge—A Promising Solution for Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

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Oliveira, Ana S., Alves, Marta, Leitão, Frederico, Tacão, Marta, Henriques, Isabel, Castro, Paula M.L., Amorim, Catarina L.·2023·Water Research

Abstract

Aquaculture is a crucial industry in the agri-food sector, but it is linked to serious environmental problems. There is a need for efficient treatment systems that allow water recirculation to mitigate pollution and water scarcity. This work aimed to evaluate the self-granulation process of a microalgae-based consortium and its capacity to bioremediate coastal aquaculture streams that sporadically contain the antibiotic florfenicol (FF). A photo-sequencing batch reactor was inoculated with an autochthonous phototrophic microbial consortium and was fed with wastewater mimicking coastal aquaculture streams. A rapid granulation process occurred within ca. 21 days, accompanied by a substantially increase of extracellular polymeric substances in the biomass. The developed microalgae-based granules exhibited high and stable organic carbon removal (83-100%). Sporadically wastewater contained FF which was partially removed (ca. 5.5-11.4%) from the effluent. In periods of FF load, the ammonium removal slightly decreased (from 100 to ca. 70%), recovering 2 days after FF feeding ceased. A high-chemical quality effluent was obtained, complying with ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations for water recirculation within a coastal aquaculture farm, even during FF feeding periods. Members belonging to the Chloroidium genus were predominant in the reactor inoculum (ca. 99%) but were replaced from day-22 onwards by an unidentified microalga from the phylum Chlorophyta (>61%). A bacterial community proliferated in the granules after reactor inoculation, whose composition varied in response to feeding conditions. Bacteria from the Muricauda and Filomicrobium genera, Rhizobiaceae, Balneolaceae, and Parvularculaceae families, thrived upon FF feeding. This study demonstrates the robustness of microalgae-based granular systems for aquaculture effluent bioremediation, even during periods of FF loading, highlighting their potential as a feasible and compact solution in recirculation aquaculture systems.

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  • Nitrogen compounds such as ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite are of crucial importance in the cultivation of microalgae, as these microorganisms intensively utilise nitrogen in their metabolic processes.

    “Nitrogen compounds such as ammonium nitrogen (NH4 + ), nitrate nitrogen (NO3 -), and nitrite nitrogen (NO2 -) are of crucial importance in the cultivation of microalgae, as these microorganisms intensively utilise nitrogen in their metabolic processes [198].”

    From Multi-Sensing Monitoring of the Microalgae Biomass Cultivation Systems for Biofuels and Added Value Products Synthesis—Challenges and Opportunities (2025) · cites this paper as [198]

    The Discussion (page not available in our copy) says microalgae consume ammonium and identifies nitrogen as a nutrient for algal growth. But it attributes nitrate removal to the mixed biomass, not specifically to microalgae, and reports nitrite accumulation rather than substantial nitrite use. The source therefore does not establish that microalgae intensively use all three compounds in their metabolism. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. FAO, 2022. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. Towards Blue Transformation. Rome, FAO. 10.4060/cc0461en. · DOI

Cited by

Authors
Oliveira, A. S., Alves, M., Leitão, F., Tacão, M., Henriques, I., Castro, P. M. L., & Amorim, C. L.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa (PT)
  • Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (PT)
  • University of Coimbra (PT)
Corresponding author
Amorim, Catarina L.
Venue
Water Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-04
Volume
233
Pages
119733
ISSN
0043-1354 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4320180915
Cited by
67
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 8
FWCI
3.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Water Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Centro de Estudos Ambientais e Marinhos, Universidade de Aveiro
  • Conseil Français de l'Énergie
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (LA/P/0094/2020, CEECIND/00977/2020, UIDB/50016/2020, UIDB/04004/2020, GReAT-PTDC/BTA-BTA/29970/201 7, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029970)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems
Keywords
florfenicol, antibiotic removal, aquaculture wastewater, recirculating aquaculture system, coastal aquaculture, extracellular polymeric substances, ammonium removal, bacterial community succession, Muricauda, water recirculation, wastewater treatment
MeSH terms
Bacteria, Biodegradation, Environmental, Humans, Nitrogen, Sewage, Thiamphenicol, Water, Aquaculture, Bioreactors, Microalgae, Wastewater

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