Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2024

September 24 - 27, 2024

Medellín, Colombia

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AQUAPONICS PROTOTYPE AS A MODEL OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Javier Ricardo Ortiz Solano*, Jhosman Quiñonez Barcasnegras, Aldris Anuar Geliz Díaz, Adriana, Rodríguez Forero.

 

Universidad del Magdalena, Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Acuicultura. Carrera 32 #22-08, Santa Marta, Magdalena.

javierortizrs@unimagdalena.edu.co 

 



Circular economy allows for the utilization of resources to give them new purposes and return them to the market, reducing waste production. Aquaponics is an integrated system to produce aquatic animals (fish, crustaceans, or mollusks), plants, and microorganisms within a water recirculation system, which has become an interesting option within technologies that produce high-quality aquaculture food, with significant advantages such as sustainable water use and increased safety of the produced food. Recycling plastic material to shape the infrastructure that supports aquaponics helps reduce costs in its implementation. Additionally, the use of nutrients in the culture and water recirculation minimizes expenses, providing a productive alternative within the circular economy, crucial for sustainable aquaculture development. The three Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle - are fundamental in this context. Reusing plastic material can help decrease waste that contributes to global warming. In this context, the aim of this study was to develop a commercial prototype of circular aquaponics to produce fish and plants, based on the implementation of a structure made from recycled PVC material. The success of the implementation relies on the recycling of this plastic compound. Upon receiving the raw material, it is sorted by color (white, yellow, green, black) and size, and then cut into pieces smaller than 20 centimeters using a cutting saw. Subsequently, it is ground in a mill at 3,800 r.p.m. to obtain pieces smaller than one centimeter. Subsequently, the mixture is preheated to 80ºC in a turbo-mixer, removing moisture, and the material obtained is transformed through an extruder machine at an average temperature between 150ºC to 170ºC, homogenizing it through an auger until reaching the mold. In the case of the aquaponic structure, round wooden slats (1.5”) with a length of 4 meters were produced. After being cooled with water, they are then cut, which will serve as the pyramidal structure of the aquaponics. The advantage of molding the pyramids for the plants is that it is done while hot, saving a joint, reducing costs, and increasing the firmness of the structure. Innovation lies in the use of recycled plastic wood, transforming a polluting material into an indefinitely usable material that helps reduce environmental impact. This results in a cost-effective solution over time, eliminating the need for maintenance of structural materials by 100% compared to metals, which immediately degrade when exposed to water and sunlight, or wood, which starts to rust after three months of use. Its implementation serves as a crucial input for the development of entrepreneurial projects that incorporate circular and sustainable economy models to optimize water usage, nutrients, materials, increase fish density, and enhance food security production.