Informal fish culture in the Maracanaú waste stabilisation ponds in Fortaleza, Brazil

• Published in: Water Science & Technology Vol. 42; no. 10-11; pp. 393 - 398
• Main Authors: DA SILVA, F. J. A, MARA, D. D, PEARSON, H. W, MOTA, S. E
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Pergamon Press 01.11.2000; IWA Publishing
• Subjects: Algae; Ammonia; Applied sciences; Aquaculture; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; Brazil, Fortaleza; Catch per unit effort; Cell culture; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll a; Coliforms; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fish; Fish culture; Fisheries; Fishers; Fishing; Freshwater fishes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Hydraulic retention time; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Inland fisheries; Oreochromis niloticus; Phosphorus; Pollution; Ponds; Removal; Retention time; Stabilization ponds; Textile industry wastewaters; Tilapia; waste stabilization ponds; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; South America; Brazil; America; Brazil, Ceara, Fortaleza; Stabilization pond; Algae; Phosphorus; Nitrogen; Coliforms; Biological purification; Ammonia; Domestic waste water; Vertebrata; Oreochromis niloticus; Chemical oxygen demand; Industrial waste water; Biological oxygen demand; Pisces; Pisciculture; Bacteria; Feces; Waste water purification; Textile industry; Thallophyta
• ISBN: 9781900222372; 190022237X
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2000.0687

The Maracanaú WSP in Fortaleza, the largest pond system in northeast Brazil, treating combined domestic and industrial (mainly textile) wastewater, was studied during a 13 month period. BOD and COD removal was 93 and 84%, respectively. On average the algal biomass represented 58% of total BOD in the ponds (3.3 mg per 100 μg of chlorophyll a). Ammonia removal was high (95%) but phosphorus was poor (20%). Faecal coliform removal reached 6 log10 units and the count in the final effluent was ≤1,000 cells/100 ml. This performance was expected since the hydraulic retention time was greater than 100 days. Informal fish culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was practised by local fishermen in the secondary and tertiary maturation ponds with yields of 1,706 and 241 kg/ha, year, respectively. Capture per unit efforts (CPUE) were similar to those found in local inland fisheries. However fish biometry showed a poorly attractive product for commercial purposes, with mean individual fish weights of less than 100 g.