The Use of Intensively Cultured Fish and Halophytic Plants for the Bioremediation of Coal Bed Methan

1
The Use of Intensively Cultured Fish and
Halophytic Plants for the Bioremediation of
Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Discharge Waters

• Dr. John G. Woiwode,
• Principal Investigator
• AquaMatrix International, Inc.

2
Grant Writing

• The Story
• The Plot
• The Bottleneck
• The Hypothesis
• The Experimental Design
• The Conclusions

3
SBIR

• Phase 1
• Feasibility of an idea,
• a widget
• Vs
• the Feasibility of a Concept

• Phase 2
• Development of a Commercial Prototype

4
Aquaculture Industry Participation

• Essential that the fish are not perceived as
  tainted
• Essential that there are no public health concerns

5
Bioaccumulation

• FDA regulates As, Hg, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd
• B, Ba, Fe and Mn also high in solution
• Hydrocarbons

6
Experimental Design

• 90 day culture
• RBT
• 3 Aquaria Test, 3 Control
• Assay anterior epaxial muscle

7
Results

• No Bioaccumulation of As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ni
• No Bioaccumulation of Fe, Mn, B
• Significant Bioaccumulation of Ba
• No Bioaccumulation of 200 organic hydrocarbons
• Growth Commercially Acceptable

8
The Direct Use of Coal Bed Methane Discharge
Water for Intensive Aquaculture Applications

• U.S. Department of Agriculture

9
Commercial Prototype Development

• Degas, regas issues

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Commercial Fish Production

• Modular
• Carbonates, pH Recirculating
• Degas/regas Cations
• Density and Growth

11
CBM and Fish Discharge

• Use of Fish Manures
• CBM Discharge is Contentious

• CBM Discharge as Irrigant

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Halophytes

• Aggressively Consume Salts
• Commercial Species
• Oil Seed
• Fiber
• Fodder
• Forage

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The Use of Halophytic Plants for the
Bioremediation of Coal Bed Methane Discharge
Waters

• National Science Foundation

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Experimental Design

• Three Plant Species
• Four Wing Salt Bush, Malt Barley and Crested
  Wheat grass
• Four Water Treatments
• CBM water, CBM water with inorganic fertilizer,
  CBM water with fish manures, and control of
  spring water
• Four repetitions

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Results
16
Results

• The plant tissue contained
• An order of magnitude higher Na levels when
  irrigated with CBM water.
• 2-300 greater growth when irrigated with CBM
  water and fish manure.
• yet an additional 200-300 more Na/kg when
  irrigated with CBM with fish manures.

17
Results

• Total sodium removal by four wing salt bush grown
  with CBM water and fish manures was 18.3 kg/acre,
  and 38.5 kg/acre with malting barley.
• Soil remained below the target SAR of 10 for all
  CBM irrigated treatments.

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Four Wing Salt Bush

• Sodium uptake was significant into the leaves
• Use of Fish Manures enhanced the uptake of Sodium

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CBM Discharge Implications

• Soil structure appears to improve
• Discharge permitting may be affected, as the
  classification could be changed from pollutant
  to agricultural discharge after going through
  fish
• Divalent Cations, Carbonates
• Sodium uptake from soil and water by Halophytes,
  further enhanced by Fish Manures

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Implications

• Halophytes irrigated with CBM waters and fish
  manures uptake significant Sodium from the water
  and soil.
• Malt Barley irrigated with CBM water and fish
  manures could produce a high value commercial
  crop.
• Landowners would welcome a beneficial forage
  species grown on their property. Forage animals
  would be able to derive significant nutrition
  from select plants irrigated with CBM discharge
  water.
• Noxious weeds encroaching on discharge areas
  would be displaced by organized agriculture of
  halophytic plants.
• Surface soils would ultimately contain less salt.
  

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The Use of Halophytes and Fish Production for the
Bioremediation of Coal Bed Methane Discharge
Waters

• Field trials of nine plant species irrigated with
  CBM discharge, combined with manures from a
  commercial fish farm.
• The larger vision
• The Agronomic Model of Fish and Halophytes