Waste to wealth: a sustainable aquaponic system based on residual nitrogen photoconversion

A simple and innovative concept for a micro-aquaponic system (MAS) to valorize residual nitrogen via photocatalytic conversion was developed. Results proved that over 70% of ammonia could be oxidized to nitrates within 1.5 hours under UV irradiation and subsequently taken up by plants which experienced a remarkably superior plant growth (with results showing 1.8–1.6 times improved petiole growth) with respect to standard grown samples. The proposed methodology may pave the way to a new eco-farming paradigm aimed at maximizing the value of residues to valuable end-products by combining multidisciplinary efforts and low environmental impact technologies.