EVALUATION OF A FILTER PRESS SYSTEM TO REDUCE MOISTURE CONTENT OF FISH PRODUCTION WASTES

AS THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN, LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF AQUACULTURE, UNTIL RECENTLY. BETTER COLLECTION TECHNIQUES FOR FISH WASTEMATERIAL, WHICH IS IN THE FORM OF A SLURRY AND IS APPROXIMATELY 95% WATER, HAVE INCREASED OPERATING COSTS FOR THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY TO TREAT EFFLUENTS AND DISPOSE OF SOLIDS GENERATED. FUTURE REGULATIONS MAY LIMIT CURRENT DISPOSAL METHODS AND FURTHER INCREASE DISPOSAL COSTS OF FISHWASTES. REDUCTION OF THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE FISH WASTEMATERIALS MAY PROVIDE A MORE ECONOMICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANNER OF FISH WASTE DISPOSAL. A BENCH TEST WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A FILTER PRESS SYSTEM USED TO DEWATER FISH WASTE MATERIAL. FISH WASTE FROM YELLOW PERCH AND RAINBOW TROUT WILL BE TESTED TO DETERMINE IF WASTE FROM DIFFERENT SPECIES REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE FILTER PRESS SYSTEM. AGE OF THE FISH WASTE WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES IN THE FILTER PRESS SYSTEM ARE NECESSARY. FISH WASTE MATERIAL BEFORE FILTRATION, THE FILTRATE AND THE FILTER CAKE WILL BE ANALYZED FOR SOLIDS, TOTAL NITROGEN, TOTAL PHOSPHOROUS, AND BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD). AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS RESEARCH, THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY WILL BE ABLE TO LOWER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FISH WASTE DISPOSAL, THROUGH THE USE OF A FILTER PRESS SYSTEM. MANUFACTURES OF FILTER PRESS SYSTEMS WILL HAVE A NEW AND POTENTIALLY LARGE MARKET. A MORE MANAGEABLE FORM OF FISH WASTE MATERIAL MAY ALLOW FOR MORE EFFICIENT RECYCLING OF THE NUTRIENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FISH WASTE.