Title: Incredible Edibles: Utilizing Aquaponics as a Method of Phytoremediation and Food Production through Green Pedal Power A Third Year Study
1Incredible Edibles Utilizing Aquaponics as a
Method of Phytoremediation and Food Production
through Green Pedal PowerA Third Year Study
2About Me
- I am a new student with FLVS. I am in 9th grade
and currently enrolled in 4 core classes Algebra
I, Biology, History and English. I have
participated in science fair for the past five
years. All of my projects have been in the
Botany division because I am very passionate
about protecting our environment. I love to
watch documentaries and my two favorites are The
Cove and Food Inc. I hope my research will
encourage people to think about the global impact
food production has on the environment and make
changes in their buying habits.
3Introduction
- My hypothesis is If water can be pumped
through an aquaponic system by use of a pedal
powered water pump and a toilet valve, then both
fish and plants can be grown aquaponically
without the use of electricity. The purpose of
my experiment is to determine if I could grow
vegetables aquaponically without the use of
electricity. - I will be creating a bike powered water pump
to grow Lettuce. I planted both seedlings and
transplants into my system. I ran various tests
on the water to determine if the ammonia was
being converted into nitrates. I also observed
plant and fish growth. - The results showed that nitrates were
produced by flushing my system once daily. I was
able to pump the most water in the shortest
amount of time by decreasing the size on the top
of my check valve pump. - My experiment revealed that it is possible
to grow vegetables aquaponically without the use
of electricity and thus my hypothesis was
supported. I hope to extend my research by
continuing to monitor the growth of my Lettuce.
4Hypothesis
- If water can be pumped through an aquaponic
system by use of a pedal powered water pump and a
toilet valve, then both fish and plants can be
grown aquaponically without the use of
electricity.
5Research
- Much of our food system depends on our not
knowing much about it, beyond the price disclosed
by the checkout scanner cheapness and ignorance
are mutually reinforcing. And it's a short way
from not knowing who's at the other end of your
food chain to not caringto the carelessness of
both producers and consumers that characterizes
our economy today by Michael Pollan. - Industrialized systems of food production
contribute to 40 of climate change. Each year,
over 900 gallons of oil-based products are used
to grow and transport food an average of 1700
miles to the table of a family of four. .75 for
every food dollar is spent on marketing and food
transportation. Once produce is picked, it stops
receiving nutrients from the source plant. In
addition, after days of traveling to the market,
the amount of nutrients in the fruit or vegetable
already begins to diminish. Locally grown produce
that has a longer time to mature on the host
plant can reap the many more nutrients derived
from the plant, hence, a healthier food.
Backyard gardening is not only the key to eating
healthier foods but to restoring our Earths
health as well. - Aquaponics is methods used to grow fruits
and vegetables without depleting natural
resources but instead recreating a natural
cyclethe Nitrogen Cycle. By adding a pedal
powered water pump, vegetables can be grown
without the use of electricity making this system
one that can be used in most rural areas where
water and power are scarce.
6Research Cont.
Aquaponics is the integration of
aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics
growing plants without soil). The process
involves fish, plants and beneficial bacteria.
The fish waste provides a food source for the
growing plants and the plants provide a natural
filter for the fish. This creates a mini
ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive.
The benefit of using fish waste as a fertilizer
compared to other organic manures is that harmful
bacteria such as Ecoli are not present because
they only are found in the waste of warm blood
animals such as cows and fish are cold blooded.
The fish in an aquaponics system are
beneficial in two aspects plant nutrients and
food production. Fish excrete waste and
respirate ammonia into water. According to
Aquarium Guys, the ideal pH for goldfish is
between 6.5 8.25. Water temperature should not
rise above 24 C and will not eat in temperature
below 10 degrees C. Fish should be feed daily
and no more than an amount that can be consumed
within 5 minutes. It is important to
establish the nitrogen cycle. Water from the
fish farm is pumped into the grow beds to harvest
helpful types of bacteriaNitrosomonas and
Nitrabacter. These bacteria turn ammonia into
nitrate which then is used as plant fertilizer.
Nitrifying bacteria are classified as obligate
chemolithotrophs which means that they must us
inorganic salts as an energy source. They must
oxidize ammonia and nitrites for their energy
needs and fix inorganic carbon dioxide (CO2) to
fulfill their carbon requirements. They are
largely non-motile and must colonize on a surface
(bioballs) for optimum growth. The temperature
for optimum growth of nitrifying bacteria is
between 25-30 degrees C. Growth rate will
decrease by 50 at 18 degrees C.
7Research Cont.
Plants in an aquaponic system serve not only
as a biofilter but food production as well. The
plants roots remove nitrates and phosphorus from
the water. These nitrates which come from fish
manure and decomposing fish feed would otherwise
build up to toxic levels in the fish pond and
kill the fish, instead serve as plant fertilizer.
The water from the grow beds is then pumped back
into the fish farm providing the fish with fresh,
clean water. The benefits to aquaponics
include low water usage, it is organic and it can
be done virtually anywhere. Compared to
traditional in ground farming, aquaponics uses
96 less water. Because it is in a controlled
environment there is no risk of disease thus
eliminating the use of pesticides. The above
reasons make it a sustainable food production
system that can help eliminate hunger in drought
stricken countries.
8Materials
- 1. 1 Nike iPod Sport Kit
- 2. Materials List
- 3. Total length of 5cm X 8cm Wood 2,164.08cm
- 4. Total length of 3cm X 8cm Wood 122cm
- 5. 24 Gold Fish
- 6. Recycled Dog House
- 7. Total length of 5cm PVC Pipe 152.4cm
- 8. Total length of 2.5cm PVC Pipe 121.9cm
- 9. Total length of 1.9cm PVC Pipe 30.8cm
- 10. 5cm PVC End Cap
- 11. Total length of 1.27cm clear tubing 304.8cm
- 12. Recycled 2lt soda bottle
- 13. Toilet Valve unit
- 14. Check Valve
- 15 189.27 Liter Grow Bin
- 16. 189.27 Liter Fish Pond
- 17. 189.27 Liter Flood Tank Bin
- 18. 189.27 Liter Plastic Trash Bin
- 19. Water testing kit
- 32. 3 each 1.27cm pvc ell
- 33. 2 each of 4.44cm long 1.27cm pvc pipe
- 34. 1 each 7.62cm long 1.27cm pvc pipe
- 35. 1 each 15.24cm long 1.27cm pvc pipe
- 36. 1 each 1.9cm pvc male adapter
- 37. 1 each 10.16cm long 1.9cm pvc pipe
- 38. 1 each 5.08cm pvc female adapter
- 39. 1 each 5.08cm x 2.54cm pvc sch 40 bushing
- 40. 1 each 2.54cm pvc street ell
- 41. 1 each 2.54cm pvc tee
- 42. 2 each 4.44cm x 1.9cm pvc ell
- 43. 1 each 15.54cm long pvc sch 40 2.54cm pipe
- 44. 1 each 48.26cm long 2.54cm pvc thin wall pipe
- 45. 2 each 21.59cm long 2.54cm pvc thin wall pipe
- 46. 1 each 1.27cm conduit locknuts
- 47. 1 each 1.9cm conduit locknuts
- 48. 1 pkg. screen door tension rollers
- 49. 1 each 60.96cm steel fishing leader
- 10 each 10 x 1.9cm SS pan head
sheet metal
9Procedure
- 1. Before construction begins, make sure that
there is an adult supervisor present to supervise
and assist all cutting and nailing of wood and
PVC piping. - 2. Make sure safety goggles are worn when
cutting. - 3. Research goldfish care to ensure proper care
is given and water stays within a sustainable pH
and ammonia level. - 4. Place (1) 189.27 L fish pond on a flat level
surface and add (1) 14 L bag of river pebbles to
the bottom of the pond and insert a pipe at the
top to allow run off water to overflow into
water reservoir. Cover end of pipe with mesh so
that fish cannot swim into the piping. - 5. Dig a hole next to fish pond and place a
189.27 L plastic trash bin inside hole next to
pond. This will serve as a water reservoir and
water contained within it will be used to pump up
into the flush tank. - 6. Using a hammer, nails and a saw, wearing
safety goggles and the direction of my adult
supervisor, construct a shelving platform system
for my grow bed and water flood bin (we used our
dog house to support the water flood bin). - 7. Add 50 bio-balls to the raft grow bed bin.
- 8. While wearing goggles, cut Styrofoam sheet to
fit the dimensions of the raft grow bed bin using
a knife under the supervision of an adult
supervisor. - 9. Using wood, and the supervision of an adult
supervisor, build a stand for the bicycle. Make
sure you wear safety goggles. - 10. Remove the chain from the bicycle.
- 11. Attach a wood block (5 cm x 8 cm x 15.24 cm)
to one of the pedals. - 12. Attach the 60.96 angled metal piece to the
block so that it moves up and down when pedaling. - 13. Attach the angled metal piece to a 152.4
metal pipe. - 14. Attach the metal pipe to a pvc pipe with a
check valve bottom a with 99.44 cm attached to
the top of it.
10Procedure Cont.
15. At the top of the pipe attach a hose that
flows from the pipe into the above 189.27 L flood
bin. 16. Above the hose attach another 17.78 cm
piece of pipe with a cap at the top. 17. Place
the pipe inside water retention bin. 18. Attach a
toilet valve to the bottom of the flood bin to
act to control water output into the grow bed
bin. 19. Add a 2 L soda bottle to the side of the
flood bin attached to a pulley system. Drill a
small hole in the cap with the help of adult
supervisor and wearing goggles. 20. Attach a
pipe 35.56 cm to the side of the flood bin that
allows water to flow into the bottle. Once the
bottle is heavy enough, with the use of a pulley
system, it opens the flush valve which pours
water into the 189.27 growbed below. 21. Attach
a 10.16 cm pipe to the side of the raft bed about
10.16 cm from the top to allow above that mark to
flow into the fish pond below. 22. Fill the
system with water. 23. Use (6) 3.81 sq cm pieces
of Stonewool and soak them in lemon juice until
the pH is 7. Once soaked, plant lettuce seed in
each piece. Once they sprout, divide them and
place them into net pots filled with Hydroton and
place the pots into cut out holes in the raft
grow bed. 24. Obtain 3 transfer lettuce plants
and rinse off all dirt gently from the
roots. 25. Place the 3 transfers into net pots
filled with Hydroton and place the pots into cut
out holes in the 189.27 litter raft bed. 26. Add
24 gold fish to the fish pond. 27. On a daily
basis, using the bike powered water pump, flush
the system. 28. Feed fish 2 tsp of fish food
daily. 29. Check water levels weekly by
monitoring pH, ammonia levels , nitrite and
nitrate levels. 30. Measure plant growth
rate. 31. Chart any mortality of fish 32. Measure
caloric output and time to pump the water via the
bike using a Nike iPod Sport Kit. 33. Make
adjustments to pump to maximize its efficiency.
11Results
- 91.44 cm size pipe above hose on check valve pump
- It took 48 minutes and 86 calories to pump
151.42 L of water - 60.96 cm cm size pipe above hose on check valve
pump - It took 36 minutes and 72 calories to pump
151.42 L of water - 17.78 cm size pipe above hose on check valve pump
- It took 32 minutes and 58 calories to pump
151.42 L or water
12Photographs
13Photographs
14Photographs
15Graphs
16Graphs
17Application
- My project can be used as a method to grow fresh
vegetables without the use of fossil fuel and
minimal water. Because no electricity was needed
to pump water through the system, this system
could be used to grow vegetables in third world
nations where there is no power source. I
believe that aquaponics is a green warrior in the
fight against world hunger and global warming and
my research has provided and chemical and fossil
fuel free method of fresh food production.
18Conclusion
- My projected consisted of designing a pedal
powered water pump to pump water through my
aquaponic system where I grew lettuce plants.
Using a check valve pump attached to a bike
petal, I pumped water into a flood bin. Once the
flood bin was filled, the water was released
through a flush valve attached to a pulley system
with a 2 L bottle that acted as a counter weight.
By placing bio balls in the grow-bed, this
facilitated the growth of both Nitrosomonas and
Nitrobacter bacteria which created a nitrogen
cycle within my ecosystem. I tested the waters
pH, nitrite and nitrate levels and I also
monitored both fish and Lettuce growth. I
flushed my system daily as well as feed my fish. - If water can be pumped through an aquaponic
system by use of a pedal powered water pump and a
toilet valve, then both fish and plants can be
grown aquaponically without the use of
electricity. By shortening the amount of piping
above the tubing on my check valve pump, I was
able to pump 151.52 cm in 32 minutes while
burning 58 calories. - My water tests showed that there were varying
levels of nitrates and trace levels of nitrities.
Also the fish and Lettuce both seemed to thrive.
I was able to pump water without the use of
electricity and therefor my hypothesis was
supported.
19Bibliography
- Backyard Aquaponics. Site by Joel. Web. 20 July
2009 - lthttp//www.backyardaquaponics.com/about.htmlgt.
- Driver, Steve. Aquaponics? Integration of
Hydroponics with Aquaculture. National
Sustainable - Agriculture Information Service. ATTRA, 2006.
Web. 20 July 2009. - http//attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/aquaponic.pdf.
- How to Care for Your Goldfish. Aquarium
Guys.Web. 29 July 2009. - http//www.aquariumguys.com/gold-fish-care-articl
e.html. - Hydroponics GardensGrow Tomatoes.
Hydroponics.com Web. 08 Sept. 2010. - http//www.hydroponics.com/gardens/tomatoes.htmlgt
. - HydrponicsThe Growing Solution. Hygro
Technologiesm, 1997. Videocassette. - Introduction to Aquaponics. Nelson / Pade
Multimedia, 2003. Videocassette. - Materson, Ph.D, James W. Aquaculture Interactive.
Vers. 2.0. Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institution, - Inc, 2001. Computer Software.