Closing cycles
Mirroring self-purification in nature (biomimicry), our innovative Aquafarm concept uses chains of organisms to ‘polish’ effluent and produce high-added value components.
Examples of projects
- Bioremediation: AquaFarm
- Fytoremediation: HELOFYT, Monitoring Floating Life, Natuurvriendelijke oevers
- Zooremediation: INNOWATOR
Highlights
Floating treatment wetlands
Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) may provide an appealing alternative to the more conventional (sub)surface flow wetlands to solve problems associated with eutrophication in urban surface waters, because they do not claim additional space.
We showed that total removal of TN and TP from the tanks planted with Iris was 54 times higher for TN and 10 times higher for TP removal compared to the control treatment. FTWs planted with Iris can be applied in a temperate climate to overcome problems with excessive algae growth in surface waters.
Not only floating wetlands also both wetlands with helophytes purifying water or floodplain or swamps either with helophytes or with willows and alder can purify, especially run off from adjacent agricultural land. A new, innovative approach of managed bioremediation is termed AquaFarm. The concept behind AquaFarm is based on optimising monocultures of organisms in a cascade of basins to purify waste water while at the same time the organisms are yielded to gain valuable components, like proteins, for multiple use in industry.
Major publications
- Keizer-Vlek, H.E., Verdonschot, P.F.M., Verdonschot, R.C.M. (2014) The contribution of plant uptake to nutrient removal by floating treatment wetlands. Ecological Engineering 73: 684-690
- Verdonschot P.F.M., Hering D., Murphy J., Jähnig S.C., Rose N.L., Wolfram Graf W., Brabec K. & Sandin L. (2010) Climate Change and the Hydrology and Morphology of Freshwater Ecosystems. In: M. Kernan, R.W. Battarbee & B. Moss (eds), Climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Chapter 4: 65-83. Wiley-Blackwell, Chischester, UK
Publications, tools, presentations
- Ter Veld D. (2015) Aquafarm. Lucratief boeren op de waterzuivering. H2O 10: 46-49
- Keizer-Vlek, H., Verdonschot, P., Verdonschot, R., Dekkers, D. (2013) Floatlands veelbelovend als waterzuiveraar in stadswateren. H2O-online 30 juli 2013. 5 p.
- Keizer-Vlek, H.E.; Verdonschot, P.F.M.; Verdonschot, R.C.M.; Dekkers, T.B.M. (2013) Water zuiveren met drijvende planten. H2O : tijdschrift voor watervoorziening en afvalwaterbehandeling, 46(10): 46-47
- Verdonschot P.F.M. (2010) Het brede beekdal als klimaatbestendige buffer in de veranderende leefomgeving. Flexibele toepassing van het 5-B-concept in Peel en Maasvallei. Alterra Wageningen UR, 64 pp. ISBN 978-90-327-0379-0
- Loeb R., Verdonschot P., Kragt F & van Grinsven H. (2009) Sturen op fosfor of stikstof voor verbetering ecologische kwaliteit van zoete wateren, H2O 22: 32-34