Bioengineering: Design and Running of a Novel Hydroponic System

Hydroponic system is a method to grow plants in water-based solution instead of soil, a branch of hydroculture. Due to the growth of the human population and air/soil pollution, the hydroponic system attracted more and more attention. Interestingly, the industry, instead of academic research is the leading force in the hydroponic system. It is important to investigate some fundamental aspects of the hydroponic system to improve the design, reduce the cost and increase productivity. In this study we report a new design of a home-based hydroponic system with multiple components: algae, fish and plants. The change of water hardiness, the concentration of ions, and pH value, the amount of water evaporation, and the growth of plants, algae, and fishes were measured. Preliminary data indicated that multiple components in a hydroponic system have built an efficient ecosystem, significantly reduced the cost of water, energy, and maintenance with high productivity