Physical profile and chemical composition of a novel fabricated Kaolina as alternative growing media in aquaponics

Siti Hajar Abdul Hamid; Fathurrahman Lananan; Nor Azman Kasan; Sharifah Hanis Yasmin Sayid Abdullah; Azizah Endut

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136005

Physical profile and chemical composition of a novel fabricated Kaolina as alternative growing media in aquaponics

Chemosphere. 2022 Nov;307(Pt 4):136005. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136005. Epub 2022 Aug 13.

Authors

Siti Hajar Abdul Hamid¹, Fathurrahman Lananan², Nor Azman Kasan³, Sharifah Hanis Yasmin Sayid Abdullah⁴, Azizah Endut⁵

Affiliations

¹ East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: shah4488@gmail.com.
² East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Faculty of Bioresource and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut Campus, 22200 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: fathurrahman@unisza.edu.my.
³ Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: norazman@umt.edu.my.
⁴ Faculty of Innovative Design and Technology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: shyasmin@unisza.edu.my.
⁵ Faculty of Innovative Design and Technology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: enazizah@unisza.edu.my.

PMID: 35973500
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136005

Abstract

The physical profile and chemical composition of growing media are vital in evaluating fish waste filtration efficiency and plant growth performance in aquaponics. The present study reported and compared the physical and chemical evaluation of the novel fabricated Kaolina, gravel, and commercially used lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) as growing medias in aquaponics. Field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX) was utilized to analyze the growing media's chemical composition and structural characterization. The resultant effect of these growing medias on water quality and the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus and Lactuca sativa were also reported. Kaolina exhibited an excellent physical profile (42.95 ± 1.39%) in water absorption capacity as compared to LECA (35.90 ± 1.28%) and gravel (1.97 ± 0.25%), showing a significant difference at p < 0.05. The addition of 25% w/w Musa paradisiaca peel in the fabrication of Kaolina gives an added value of 88.0% of K and 100% of P elements, which show a significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to LECA. The results obtained reveal a better daily growth rate (DGR) and relative growth rate (RGR) of L. sativa at 0.57 ± 0.02 cm day^-1 and 0.21 ± 0.00 g day^-1, respectively. Results indicated that the porous structure of growing media could contribute to the high-water retention capability and slow the water desorption process. Hence, it could increase the ability of the growing media to hold nutrients for plant intake, resulting in higher removal percentage of nutrients in aquaponics system. Kaolina gives the highest nutrient removal percentage of TAN (96.86 ± 1.50%), NO₂^- (83.56 ± 1.27%), NO₃^-(77.55 ± 0.48%), and PO₄^3- (79.46 ± 0.42%). The results also shown growing media has considerable impacts on nutrient removal, which contribute to the aquaponic productions.

Keywords: Aquaponics; Growing media; Growth improvement; Micronutrient; Nutrient recycling.

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquaculture* / methods
Clay
Nitrogen Dioxide*
Phosphorus

Substances

Clay
Nitrogen Dioxide
Phosphorus