Use of bioremediated sewage effluent for fish survival

Abstract

Two fresh water fish species Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) were cultured to investigate the survival rate in bioremediated sewage effluent of Shehzad town, Islamabad, Pakistan. Two earthen ponds one with fresh water and second with bioremediated sewage effluent with dimension of 20×40 m were selected at Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme, NARC. Fish survival was investigated after fortnight sampling. Physicochemical parameters of bioremediated water were within permissible limit recommended for fish. Less than one percent survival was observed in bioremdiated water pond whereas 100% fish survival was recorded in fresh water pond. Further investigation and results showed the higher level of ammonical-nitrogen (NH4+-N; 31.08 mg/L), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N; 18.58 mg/L) and chlorides (Cl-; 39.61mg/L) in bioremediated sewage water that were main cause of fish mortality. Complete fish survival was recorded in bioremediated sewage effluent after phytoremediation with Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) plant that has potential of removing NH4+, NO3- and Cl- from sewage waste water. This study showed that this treated sewage water required further treatment for removal of NH4+-N, NO3--N and Cl- by using phytoremdiater Coontail (C. demersum). © 2013 Friends Science Publishers.