Demonstrating ecological engineering for wastewater treatment in a Nordic climate using aquaculture principles in a greenhouse mesocosm

Use of Artificial Aquatic Food-Web for Post-Treatment of Domestic Wastewater in Cold Climate: A Review

“…As a solution, greenhouse treatment plant has been proposed. For instance, Guterstam (1996) used a hybrid system consisting of conventional wastewater treatment plant and AAFW for additional treatment. This setup showed reduction of total nitrogen and phosphorous by 24% and 17%.…”

“…This could be solved by placing the AAFW system in a greenhouse with adjustable temperature and light intensity. Although Guterstam (1996) suggested that such an approach is detrimental due to high energy consumption, since his research there has been a rapid development in alternative and low-cost energy supply technology (Lund et al, 2014) and also new and efficient insulation materials have been introduced (Schiavoni et al, 2016). Thus, costs for thermal and electrical energy can be significantly reduced.…”

Comparing indoor wastewater-fed aquaculture with two conventional wastewater treatment plants using adopted sustainable process indices

“…Only its special architectural design (by Bengt Warne) and location on a southeast facing slope on the coast of the Baltic Sea allowed it to operate throughout the year, by making the best use of incoming solar radiation. One hundred and eighty square metres of threelayer glass, together with greenhouse curtains made of aluminium foil for shading during the summer and for insulation at night and during dark winter days, helped to create and maintain a year-round indoor subtropical climate ideal for organisms to thrive (Guterstam 1996).…”

“…To be precise, the plant was a wastewater-fed aquaculture inside a greenhouse with the purpose of recycling resources contained in the wastewater of a college (Stensund Folk College), especially for nitrogen, phosphorus and heat energy (Guterstam 1996). The aquaculture operated in a Nordic climate (60°N), exposing it to extremes in both temperature and light regimes between summer and winter.…”

“…Present conventional wastewater treatment systems are designed to protect the environment from eutrophication as well as from pathogens (Gray 1989), however, only newer treatment plants are capable of recycling nutrients from the wastewater stream. One such technology -'Wastewater-fed Aquaculture' -was developed in Sweden by Dr. Björn Guterstam in the 1980s- (Guterstam 1996). It is commonly thought that this ecologically engineered wastewater-fed aquaculture is better suited for use in a sustainable economy when compared to a typical conventional sewage treatment plant.…”