title: High nutrient removal rate from swine wastes and protein biomass production by full-scale duckweed ponds.
abstract: Duckweed ponds have been successfully used in swine waste polishing, generating a biomass with high protein content. Therefore, the present study evaluated the efficiency of two full-scale duckweed ponds considering nutrient recovery from a piggery farm effluent (produced by 300 animals), as well as the biomass yield and crude protein (CP) content. A significant improvement in the effluent quality was observed, with the removal of 98.0% of the TKN (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen) and 98.8% of the TP (Total Phosphorous), on average. The observed nitrogen removal rate is one of the highest reported (4.4 g/m(2)day of TKN). Additionally, the dissolved oxygen level rose from 0.0 to 3.0mg/L, on average. The two ponds together produced over 13 tons of biomass (68 t/ha year of dry biomass), with 35% crude protein content. Because of the excellent nutrient removal and protein biomass production, the duckweed ponds revealed a great potential for the polishing and valorisation of swine waste, under the presented conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC/CTC/ENS, CEP 88010 970 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. rodrigomohedano@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mohedano
authors.forename: Rejane H R
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Flávia A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belli Filho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029064:Araceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D061005:Ponds; D012621:Seasons; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen