The Biotreatment of High Iron Containing Water for Acquaculture Using Ripe and Unripe Peels of Plantain

Abstract

The ubiquitous nature and abundance of both surface and underground water resource in the Niger Delta cannot be overemphasized. Water play diverse roles in the ecosystem, including the its inevitable sustainability of the aquaculture sector. Unfortunately, actualization of clean and safe water in the Niger Delta could be problem at ic due high iron levels and acidic pH, which makes farmer struggle to improve water quality for aquaculture suitability there by applying both empirical and instinctive measures. Untreated water having iron content of 10.81±0.11 - 11.44±0.12mg/l with pH of 4.32±0.16-5.09±0.06 was treated with ripe and unripe peels of plantain fruit. Results shows that pH had significant inverse relationship (P<0.01) with iron, hardness and BOD but direct relationship with dissolved oxygen. After 4 weeks of treatment, Iron concentration decreased as; 9.98<7.96<4.92<1.55mg/l for the unripe plantain peel treatment (UPPT), and7.96<6.39<3.08<0.86mg/l for ripe plantain peel treatment (RPPT). Results show that there was a significant (p<0.05) corresponding increase in pH for both UPPT (5.34>5.83>6.34>6.56) and RPPT (5.53>5.59>6.55>6.70) respectively. All the treatments resulted in the improvement of the water quality, especially with respect to pH and iron. The RPPT had better efficacy compared to UPPT, but all treatment improved the suitability of the water to the conformance of suitable for aquaculture.