Chapter 8
Biofilter Aquaponic System for Nutrients
Removal from Fresh Market Wastewater
M. S. Miswan, Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed,
and Adel Ali Saeed Al-Gheethi
Abstract Aquaponics is a significant wastewater treatment system which refers to
the combination of conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic organism) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. This system has
a high ability in removing nutrients compared to conventional methods because it
is a natural and environmentally friendly system (aquaponics). The current chapter
aimed to review the possible application of aquaponics system to treat fresh market wastewater with the intention to highlight the mechanism of phytoremediation
occurs in aquaponic system. The literature revealed that aquaponic system was able
to remove nutrients in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Keywords Aquaponics · Biofilter · Nutrient removal · Plant · Fresh market
8.1 Introduction
The expansion of population is associated with the increase of demands for consumable items such as fish, chicken, lamb and cow. This situation increases the number
of fresh markets which consequently increase the amount of wastewater generated.
Direct discharge of the fresh market wastewater into the environment can negatively
affect biodiversity. Therefore, a proper wastewater treatment is needed to avoid environmental degradation such as eutrophication and the spread of waterborne diseases
(Haseena et al. 2017). Usually, a fresh market involves slaughtering activities to
facilitate customers. Wastewater generated from this activity contains a high amount
of organic matter including proteins, blood residues, fat and lard (Apandi et al. 2017;
Yaakob et al. 2018). A direct discharge of the untreated slaughtering wastewater to
M. S. Miswan · R. M. S. Radin Mohamed (B) · A. A. S. Al-Gheethi (B)
Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Micro-pollution Research Centre (MPRC), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
(UTHM), 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: maya@uthm.edu.my
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi
e-mail: adel@uthm.edu.my; adelalghithi@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi et al. (eds.), Prospects of Fresh Market Wastes Management
in Developing Countries, Water Science and Technology Library 92,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42641-5_8
119
Biofilter Aquaponic System for Nutrients
Removal from Fresh Market Wastewater
M. S. Miswan, Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed,
and Adel Ali Saeed Al-Gheethi
Abstract Aquaponics is a significant wastewater treatment system which refers to
the combination of conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic organism) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. This system has
a high ability in removing nutrients compared to conventional methods because it
is a natural and environmentally friendly system (aquaponics). The current chapter
aimed to review the possible application of aquaponics system to treat fresh market wastewater with the intention to highlight the mechanism of phytoremediation
occurs in aquaponic system. The literature revealed that aquaponic system was able
to remove nutrients in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Keywords Aquaponics · Biofilter · Nutrient removal · Plant · Fresh market
8.1 Introduction
The expansion of population is associated with the increase of demands for consumable items such as fish, chicken, lamb and cow. This situation increases the number
of fresh markets which consequently increase the amount of wastewater generated.
Direct discharge of the fresh market wastewater into the environment can negatively
affect biodiversity. Therefore, a proper wastewater treatment is needed to avoid environmental degradation such as eutrophication and the spread of waterborne diseases
(Haseena et al. 2017). Usually, a fresh market involves slaughtering activities to
facilitate customers. Wastewater generated from this activity contains a high amount
of organic matter including proteins, blood residues, fat and lard (Apandi et al. 2017;
Yaakob et al. 2018). A direct discharge of the untreated slaughtering wastewater to
M. S. Miswan · R. M. S. Radin Mohamed (B) · A. A. S. Al-Gheethi (B)
Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Micro-pollution Research Centre (MPRC), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
(UTHM), 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: maya@uthm.edu.my
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi
e-mail: adel@uthm.edu.my; adelalghithi@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi et al. (eds.), Prospects of Fresh Market Wastes Management
in Developing Countries, Water Science and Technology Library 92,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42641-5_8
119