This study was carried out to characterize ponds and aquaculture systems, and also to determine both the potential and actual impacts of pond aquaculture effluents on receiving stream quality in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. Water, fish and macroinvertebrate samples were collected from upstream, downstream and nearby reference streams of, and questionnaires administered to, 32 farms. Total settleable solids were higher in ponds than reference streams (p = 0.0166); suspended solids was higher in ponds than reference streams (p = 0.0159) and upstream (p = 0.0361); and total phosphorus was higher in ponds than reference (p = 0.0274) and upstream (p = 0.0269). Total nitrogen was most clearly higher in ponds than all other locations: p = 0.0016, 0.0086 and 0.0154 for the differences between ponds and reference, upstream, and downstream respectively. BOD5 level was also higher in ponds than all locations (p = 0.0048, 0.0009, and 0.0012 respectively). Also, non-guarding fish species were more abundant in reference streams than downstream (p = 0.0214) and upstream (p = 0.0251), and sand-detritus spawning fish were less predominant in reference streams than upstream (p = 0.0222) and marginally less in downstream locations (p = 0.0539). A possible subsidy-stress response within study streams was also observed. Hence, ponds are potential sources of these water quality variables to receiving streams. Effluent-receiving streams, generally, were not much different from reference streams in terms of most the metrics of community structure and function used in the comparisons. Hence, even though receiving streams in Central Ghana may not be severely impacted by aquaculture effluents at the moment, the management of pond effluents will determine the scale of future impact. Vegetable, cereal, and livestock farming could serve as additional sources of fecal streptococci and coliform bacteria and nutrient-enrichment within the study area, besides aquaculture, and so these industries must also be included in efforts to minimize pollution of these streams. / Master of Science

Orientador: Luiz Augusto do Amaral / Banca: Antônio Fernando Monteiro Camargo / Banca: Irineu Bianchini Júnior / Resumo: A aquicultura é uma atividade impactante para o meio ambiente, podendo causar eutrofização de corpos hídricos, introdução de espécies exóticas, transmissão de doenças e competição pelo uso da água. Os efluentes de criações de organismos aquáticos são ricos em matéria orgânica e nutrientes, nitrogênio e fósforo, decorrente de adubação, restos de ração e excreção. A partir de um viveiro de criação de pacu "Piaractus mesopotamicus" foi avaliado o impacto ambiental causado pela criação, a presença de organismos indicadores de contaminação fecal (Escherichia coli), e avaliada a eficiência de um sistema de tratamento tipo wetland construída utilizando três espécies de macrófitas aquáticas de tipos ecológicos diferentes: Eichhornia crassipes (flutuante), Ceratophyllum demersum(submersa) e Typha dominigensis (emersa). As variáveis analisadas foram temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, alcalinidade, dureza total, demanda química e bioquímica de oxigênio (DQO e DBO), nitrogênio (total, amoniacal, nitrito e nitrato), fósforo (total e ortofosfato) e o NMP de Escherichia coli, como ferramenta de análise foi aplicada uma análise multivariada de fatores. Os resultados demonstraram que a criação de pacu apresentou impacto ambiental significativo na qualidade da água do efluente do viveiro, gerando elevação da concentração de fósforo total, nitrogênio total e material particulado suspenso, aumento nos níveis de turbidez e demanda bioquímica e química de oxigênio. O sistema de tratamento foi eficiente no tratamento do efluente e todas as etapas do tratamento foram significativas para a remoção das variáveis relacionadas com o impacto ambiental. Todas as amostras apresentaram número mais provável de Escherichia coli dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira / Abstract: Aquaculture is responsible for various types of environmental impacts, causing eutrophication of water bodies, introduction of exotic species, disease transmission and competition for water use. The effluents from aquatic organisms breeding are rich in organic matter and nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, due to fertilization, food leftovers and excretion. From a pacu "Piaractus mesopotamicus" breeding pond was evaluated the environmental impact in the water, the presence of fecal indicator organisms (Escherichia coli) and evaluated the effluent treatment by a constructed wetland using three species aquatic macrophytes of different ecological types: Eichhornia crassipes (floating), Ceratophyllum demersum (submerged) and Typha dominigensis (onshore). The analyzed variables were temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, total hardness, chemical demand and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD), nitrogen (total, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) and phosphorus (total and orthophosphate), for data analysis was applied a multivariate factor analysis. The results demonstrated that the pacu breeding showed significant environmental impact on water quality of the effluent, causing elevation of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and suspended particulate material, an increase in turbidity and chemical and biochemical oxygen demand. The treatment system was effective in the treatment of effluent and all stages of treatment were significant for the removal of variables related to environmental impact. The most probable number of E. coli was in accordance with Brazilian law in all samples / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-10Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:48:42Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 assuncao_awa_me_jabo.pdf: 2995291 bytes, checksum: 74067a6b3a92853f7bca5284c13487ca (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A aquicultura é uma atividade impactante para o meio ambiente, podendo causar eutrofização de corpos hídricos, introdução de espécies exóticas, transmissão de doenças e competição pelo uso da água. Os efluentes de criações de organismos aquáticos são ricos em matéria orgânica e nutrientes, nitrogênio e fósforo, decorrente de adubação, restos de ração e excreção. A partir de um viveiro de criação de pacu “Piaractus mesopotamicus” foi avaliado o impacto ambiental causado pela criação, a presença de organismos indicadores de contaminação fecal (Escherichia coli), e avaliada a eficiência de um sistema de tratamento tipo wetland construída utilizando três espécies de macrófitas aquáticas de tipos ecológicos diferentes: Eichhornia crassipes (flutuante), Ceratophyllum demersum(submersa) e Typha dominigensis (emersa). As variáveis analisadas foram temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, alcalinidade, dureza total, demanda química e bioquímica de oxigênio (DQO e DBO), nitrogênio (total, amoniacal, nitrito e nitrato), fósforo (total e ortofosfato) e o NMP de Escherichia coli, como ferramenta de análise foi aplicada uma análise multivariada de fatores. Os resultados demonstraram que a criação de pacu apresentou impacto ambiental significativo na qualidade da água do efluente do viveiro, gerando elevação da concentração de fósforo total, nitrogênio total e material particulado suspenso, aumento nos níveis de turbidez e demanda bioquímica e química de oxigênio. O sistema de tratamento foi eficiente no tratamento do efluente e todas as etapas do tratamento foram significativas para a remoção das variáveis relacionadas com o impacto ambiental. Todas as amostras apresentaram número mais provável de Escherichia coli dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira / Aquaculture is responsible for various types of environmental impacts, causing eutrophication of water bodies, introduction of exotic species, disease transmission and competition for water use. The effluents from aquatic organisms breeding are rich in organic matter and nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, due to fertilization, food leftovers and excretion. From a pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus breeding pond was evaluated the environmental impact in the water, the presence of fecal indicator organisms (Escherichia coli) and evaluated the effluent treatment by a constructed wetland using three species aquatic macrophytes of different ecological types: Eichhornia crassipes (floating), Ceratophyllum demersum (submerged) and Typha dominigensis (onshore). The analyzed variables were temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, total hardness, chemical demand and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD), nitrogen (total, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) and phosphorus (total and orthophosphate), for data analysis was applied a multivariate factor analysis. The results demonstrated that the pacu breeding showed significant environmental impact on water quality of the effluent, causing elevation of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and suspended particulate material, an increase in turbidity and chemical and biochemical oxygen demand. The treatment system was effective in the treatment of effluent and all stages of treatment were significant for the removal of variables related to environmental impact. The most probable number of E. coli was in accordance with Brazilian law in all samples

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Para a realizaÃÃo deste trabalho, foi utilizada a tÃcnica da eletrocoagulaÃÃo (EC) para o tratamento de efluente de piscicultura. Um reator de EC em escala de laboratÃrio, com capacidade de 1,5 L foi montado, utilizando um conjunto de quatro placas de eletrodos de alumÃnio, um agitador mecÃnico de alto torque microprocessado, fios condutores com garras de jacarà e uma fonte de tensÃo com potÃncia regulÃvel. Os eletrodos foram arranjados dentro da cÃlula eletrolÃtica de forma monopolar, em paralelo e a uma distÃncia de 11 mm. O efluente utilizado neste estudo foi coletado em tanques de piscicultura do centro de criaÃÃo de peixes do Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca da Universidade Federal do CearÃ. Para a determinaÃÃo da melhor condiÃÃo de operaÃÃo do reator, foi feito um planejamento experimental por intermÃdio do Software âStatgraficsâ, definindo, as variÃveis operacionais e os seus respetivos intervalos de variaÃÃo (pH inicial de 4 a 8, condutividade de 1000 a 4000 μS cm-1, tempo de eletrolise de 15 a 35 min., agitaÃÃo de 200 a 600 rpm e corrente de 1 a 2,5 A), que combinadas entre si totalizaram um total de 35 ensaios experimentais. Com base nos resultados obtidos por meio das anÃlises fÃsico-quÃmicas em laboratÃrio, pode-se afirmar que o pH inicial=8, condutividade=1000 μS cm-1, tempo=35 min., agitaÃÃo=200 rpm e corrente=2,5 A, sÃo as condiÃÃes Ãtimas de operaÃÃo do reator. Nestas condiÃÃes, alcanÃaram remoÃÃo de 84,95% para DQO, 98,06% para nitrito, 82,43% para nitrato, 98,05% para fÃsforo total e 95,32% para a turbidez, sendo o custo operacional de 4,59 R$/m3 de efluente tratado. Com base nos resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que alguns dos parÃmetros analisados (pH, turbidez, temperatura, STD, nitrito, nitrato e fÃsforo total) estÃo de acordo com os padrÃes estabelecidos para Ãgua doce, classe 2, pela ResoluÃÃo CONAMA n 357/05, e de acordo com a ResoluÃÃo CONAMA n 430/2011 e a Portaria n 154/2002 da SEMACE (CE), para lanÃamento do efluente final nos corpos receptores. A tÃcnica de eletrocoagulaÃÃo alÃm de ser um mÃtodo alternativo, eficiente e promissor para tratamento de efluentes de piscicultura, tambÃm mostrou ser ecologicamente correto por dispensar o consumo elevado de reagentes,ao contrÃrio do que acontece no tratamento convencional. / For this work, we used the technique of electrocoagulation (EC) for the treatment of effluent from fish farms. An EC reactor at laboratory scale with a capacity of 1,5 L was assembled using a set of four plates of aluminum electrodes, a mechanical stirrer high torque microprocessor, wires with alligator clips and a voltage source with power adjustable. The electrodes were arranged inside of the electrolytic cell in a monopolar form, in parallel and at a distance of 11 mm. The effluent used in this study was collected in fishponds of fish breeding center of the Engineering Department of Fisheries, Federal University of CearÃ. To determine the best operating condition of the reactor, an experimental design was performed using the software "Statgrafics", defining the operational variables and their respective intervals (Initial pH 4 to 8, conductivity from 1000 to 4000 μS cm-1, electrolysis time 15 to 35 min., agitation 200-600 rpm and electrical current from 1 to 2,5 A), that combined together, performing a total of 35 runs. Based on the results obtained by means of physical-chemical analysis in the laboratory, it can be stated that the initial pH=8, conductivity=1000 μS cm-1, time=35 min., agitation=200 rpm and electrical current=2,5 A, are the optimal operating conditions of the reactor. Under these conditions, removal reached 84,95% for COD, 98,06% for nitrite, 82,43% for nitrate, 98,05% for total phosphorus and 95,32% for turbidity, resulting an operating cost of R$ 4,59 per m3 of treated effluent. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that some of the analyzed parameters (pH, turbidity, temperature, STD, nitrite, nitrate and total phosphorus) are in accordance with the standards established for fresh water, class 2, by CONAMA Resolution n 357/05, and according to CONAMA Resolution n 430/2011 and Decree n 154/2002 of SEMACE (CE), for release of the final effluent in the receiving water bodies. The technique of electrocoagulation besides being an alternative, efficient and promising for treating effluents from fish farming, also proved to be environmentally friendly for taking the high consumption of reagents, contrary to what happens in conventional treatment.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food industry in the world and it accounts for roughly half of the world's fish supply. The majority of global aquaculture production occurs in freshwater systems that are increasingly subject to multiple uses by different stakeholders. Given the overall scarcity of freshwater on a global scale, freshwater aquaculture will face increasing environmental constraints that will demand an ever better understanding of its potential impacts on the aquatic environment and human health. This thesis consists of a series of studies that, collectively, contribute to further our understanding on the effects of freshwater aquaculture effluents on aquatic ecosystems, on the effects and environmental safety of antibiotics used in freshwater aquaculture on aquatic bacterial communities and on the link between antibiotic pollution and antibiotic resistance. Chapter 2 reviews the effects of freshwater aquaculture effluents on stream ecosystems using land-based salmonid farms as a case study. In this chapter I discuss relevant considerations related to the temporal and spatial scales of effluent discharge and ecological effects that highlight the need to characterize the patterns of stressor discharge when assessing environmental impacts and designing ecological effects studies. I also discuss the potential role of multiple stressors - with an emphasis on veterinary medicines - in disrupting ecosystem structure and function. Overall, the critical analysis presented in this chapter indicates that further research on the effects of veterinary medicines using relevant exposure scenarios would significantly contribute to our understanding of their impact in relation to other effluent stressors. Chapter 3 is a general methods chapter that describes the stream microcosm system used to assess the effects of erythromycin thiocyanate (ERT) and florfenicol (FFC) on bacterial communities of stream biofilms. This chapter presents the results of preliminary experiments whose results provided relevant information on the overall operation of the microcosms and on the variability of major physical and biological variables. This information guided the experimental designs used to assess the effects of FFC and ERT on the bacterial community structure of stream biofilms. Chapter 4 presents the results of the experiment conducted to assess the effects of FFC on the bacterial community structure of developing biofilms. The objective was to assess changes in bacterial community structure along a gradient of FFC concentrations that could provide insight into the type and magnitude of effects that could be expected from episodic exposure of stream biofilms to FFC in headwater streams. At 10 and 20 days of biofilm development, bacterial community structure differentiated in a pattern consistent with the FFC concentration gradient and there was a positive relationship between bacterial richness and bacterial diversity with FFC concentration. At 15 days of biofilm development there was also a positive relationship between FFC concentration and the surface coverage of bacteria and extracellular polymeric substances. These trends declined as the biofilm developed a more complex architecture, in terms of thickness and in the surface coverage of algae. The results are consistent with an initial stimulatory effect of FFC on biofilm formation that triggered changes in bacterial community structure that were gradually compressed as the development of a complex biofilm architecture increased the relative importance of autogenic ecological processes. The results suggest that the co-occurrence of FFC with bacterial pathogens in effluents and wastewaters may favour their persistence in the environment by enhancing biofilm formation. Chapter 5 presents the results of the experiment conducted to assess the effects of ERT on the bacterial community structure of developing biofilms. Currently, Aquamycin® 100 - a Type A medicated article (i.e., Premix) containing 100 g ERT lb-1 and used to produce a Type C medicated feed - is a candidate drug for approval by the US FDA to control mortality associated with bacterial kidney disease in freshwater salmonids. The objective of this experiment was to assess the effects of ERT on the bacterial community structure of stream biofilms using an exposure period consistent with the 28-day treatment regime suggested for Aquamycin® 100. The results provide no evidence to suggest that a 30-day exposure to ERT concentrations in the range of 10 μg L-1 (i.e., 7.3 ± 3.9 μg L-1) would lead to changes in the bacterial community structure or overall bacterial abundance of stream biofilms, while they suggest that these effects may occur at concentrations in the range of 100 μg L-1 (i.e., 87.2 ± 31.1 μg L-1). Chapter 6 attempts to determine whether environmental concentrations of antibiotics and concentrations representing action limits used in environmental risk assessment may exert a selective pressure on clinically relevant bacteria in the environment. In this chapter I use bacterial inhibition as an assessment endpoint to link antibiotic selective pressures to the prevalence of resistance in bacterial populations. Species sensitivity distributions were derived for three antibiotics by fitting log-logistic models to endpoints calculated from minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) distributions based on worldwide data collated by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Bacteria represented in these distributions were placed in a broader context by performing a brief phylogenetic analysis. The potentially affected fraction of bacterial genera at measured environmental concentrations of antibiotics and environmental risk assessment action limits was used as a proxy for antibiotic selective pressure. Measured environmental concentrations and environmental risk assessment action limits were also directly compared to wild-type cut-off values. Results suggest that measured environmental concentrations of antibiotics and concentrations representing environmental risk assessment action limits are high enough to exert a selective pressure on clinically relevant bacteria that may lead to an increase in the prevalence of resistance. Chapter 7 presents the results of an exploratory analysis conducted to assess the abundance of class 1 integrons in stream biofilms exposed to FFC and ERT. There was no pattern in the abundance of intI1 genes consistent with the treatment of FFC and ERT, suggesting either the absence of gene cassettes involved in dealing with selective pressures caused by these antibiotics or that the concentrations tested were below those required to give them a selective advantage. Chapter 8 is a brief general discussion that brings together the findings of the thesis and makes suggestions for future research. Key areas identified for future research include assessing in further detail the stimulatory effect of FFC on biofilm formation in complex bacterial communities, the interactive effects of multiple aquaculture effluent stressors on aquatic bacterial communities and their potential effects on the development of antibiotic resistance, the fate of FFC and ERT in stream ecosystems, and further developing the analysis based on MIC distributions presented in chapter 6 to assess the potential effects of antibiotic pollution on the selection of multi-drug resistance in the environment.