Ultraviolet disinfection of water in recirculating aquaculture system: a case study at sturgeon caviar fish farm

In this report, we present a practical example of ultraviolet (UV) water disinfection in an aquaculture facility for sturgeon caviar production. Among the methods of water disinfection in recirculating aquaculture systems, the technical approaches using ozonation or ultraviolet radiation in com-bination with other methods are the most effective. However, improper use of ozonation can result in excessive ozone con-centrations that can cause serious harm to fish and be harm-ful to the environment and personnel. Therefore, we describe an example of a reagent-free ultraviolet water disinfection system. Preliminary results show that filtration followed by ultraviolet irradiation inactivates microorganisms in fish tank water. Total microbial count, total coliform bacteria, and E. coli(CFU/m3) did not exceed the permissible values. The described UV system provides an irradiance of 180W/m2. For a pool with a water volume of 300m3, bacteriological purity of the water was achieved with 480W of UV-lightActa agriculturae Slovenica, 118/1, 1-4, Ljubljana, 2022, doi:10.14720/aas.2022.118.3.248