Complete reuse of raw fishmeal wastewater: Evidence from a field cultivation study and economic analysis

Abstract

To examine the feasibility of reuse of raw fishmeal wastewater, it was biodegraded by a microbial consortium in a 1-m3 reactor, and the final culture broth including mixed microbes was applied as biofertilizer to field cultivation of lettuce and Chinese cabbage. Moreover, economic analysis of the entire process was performed. A stable metabolism of organic matter degradation for 80 h with sufficient dissolved oxygen produced an amino acid content of 14.66 g per 100 g sample, along with increased cation and anion concentrations. The concentrations of N, P and K in the final culture broth were 2.26, 0.87 and 0.65%, respectively, while those of heavy metals were very low. In field cultivation of the two leafy vegetables, the biodegraded fishmeal wastewater showed better fertilizing ability than commercial fertilizers because of its high amino acid content. In addition, no external damage to leaves by the fertilization was observed. In economic analysis, the expected profitability from the practical reuse of raw fishmeal wastewater was estimated to be $491.68 per a single biodegradation, which corresponds to $25,567.36 per year. As a result, the complete reuse of fishmeal wastewater could be feasible and provide essential benefits.