A University of Idaho team, led by Professor Amin Mirkouei and supported by two recently graduated doctorate students, Rance Bare and Ethan Struhs, collaborated with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Ken Overturf), U of I Aquaculture Research Institute (Brian Small) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Martha Chacón-Patiño, Amy Mckenna and Huan Chen) to design and custom-build an economical and sustainable water treatment system. This system was specifically developed to remove micronutrients, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen, from the wastewater of fish farms in southern Idaho (Magic Valley region). Through a series of laboratory and field studies, the team tested several unmodified and modified biochar-based water treatment systems. Their findings demonstrated that magnesium (Mg)-modified biochar, made from pinewood, effectively sequestered higher amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus over time. For more information, please check out the latest published articles at www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/11/10/2883 and www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/11/4/1029.
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