Water Quality and Treatment in Aquaculture Systems

Code: BIO14635M

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/162 hours

Scientific Area: Controlo e Processos

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Presentation

Identifies the physic-chemical and microbiological parameters of water quality for aquaculture systems. It allows the ability to select, design, operate and monitoring the technologies for water and wastewater treatment in aquaculture.

Sustainable Development Goals

2. Erradicar a fome - Acabar com a fome, alcançar a segurança alimentar e melhoria da nutrição e promover a agricultura sustentável.

4. Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

6. Água potável e saneamento - Garantir disponibilidade e manejo sustentável da água e saneamento para todos.

8. Trabalho digno e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

12. Produção e consumo sustentáveis - Assegurar padrões de produção e de consumo sustentáveis.

14. Proteger a vida marinha - Conservação e uso sustentável dos oceanos, dos mares, e dos recursos marinhos para o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Learning Goals

- To know the physical-chemical and microbiological parameters of water quality for aquaculture systems
- To have technical knowledge of the variables that influence water quality
- To establish monitoring and sampling plans
- To know how to select the technologies for water treatment in aquaculture cultivation
- To know how to select the technologies for wastewater treatment to avoid impacts of aquaculture on natural ecosystems

Skills
- Ability to design water quality monitoring plans, carry out analysis and assess water quality
- Ability to design, operate and monitor water treatment units, wastewater treatment for aquaculture and define treatment technologies for water reuse in aquaculture recirculation systems.

1. Water characteristics for aquaculture use. Legislation.
2. Assessment of potential sources and transport of contaminants from the natural environment
3. Sample and monitoring plans in water and sediment: selection of parameters to monitor, sample conservation and treatment
4. Monitoring and analysis of physical-chemical parameters of water quality for cultivation: conductivity, pH, salinity, color, turbidity, alkalinity, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur
5. Monitoring and analysis of physical-chemical components of aquaculture effluents: COD BOD, TOC, TSS, DIM and DOM.
6. Sediment analysis: heavy metals and adsorbed organic compounds
7. Water treatment technologies to cultivate organisms in aquaculture
8. Technologies for the treatment of effluents from aquaculture units and recycling water

Lab work: Sampling and physical-chemical characterization of water collected at the affluent and effluent in aquaculture production systems in-situ and in the laboratory.

Teaching Methods

TP classes will take place face-to-face and using the b-learning methodology and the pedagogical methodologies centered on the student, namely active learning methodologies with a description of bibliography to students work autonomously, a brief exposition and clarification of doubts about theoretical concepts and application exercises individually and in group.
The PL classes are on a face-to-face basis to carry out lab work, where the concepts acquired in autonomous work and in theoretical classes are applied; the autonomy is valued in the treatment of experimental results and their analysis.

Assessment

The evaluation of the theoretical-practical component will be performed by the activities carrying out in the classes with one test and a project using the Project Based Learning (PBL) methodology and the lab component through the delivery of an experimental report. The final classification is calculated as follows:
CF = 0.6.NTP+0.4.NPL; CF: Final grade; NTP: theorical-practical and NPL: practical-lab grade. The students need to have 9.5 in the NTP and NPL to be approved.