Peracetic acid (PAA)s a colorless liquid with a strong vinegar-like odor that in low doses is used as a water disinfectant in many industries including recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in Europe. In February 2023, Evonik Corporation received EPA approval for the sale of VigorOx â Trident as a biocide to combat specific waterborne fish pathogens in US aquaculture systems.
Disease outbreaks occur periodically in trout raceways during the spring and summer months in western North Carolina. A usual approach to combat this is through the use of Formalin. For the first time in the US, PAA was tested in a series of commercial trout raceways . Weekly eye and gill samples were collected to monitor any fish health changes ; PAA concentration and water quality parameters were also regularly monitored.
After an Ich outbreak, it was determined that the method used to introduce the PAA into the water was not ensuring even distribution throughout the water column of the raceways. This led to a modification of the PAA dosing system. Due to this problem, we plan to repeat this study in 2024 to obtain more conclusive results. The results and lessons of this study will be discussed.