Analysis of The Effectiveness of Sand Filters for Raw Water Treatment in Brackish Water Aquaculture Environments

Abstract

 Brackish Water used in aquaculture environments often contains high concentrations of contaminants that must be treated to ensure suitability for cultivation. This study evaluated the effectiveness of sand filters in improving raw water quality at the Brackish Water Aquaculture Fisheries Center in Takalar, South Sulawesi, over a two-month monitoring period. A per-and post-filtration analysis was conducted on key water quality parameter, including Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Ammonia (NH₃), Nitrite (NO₂), and Total Bacterial Count (CFU/mL). Results showed that the sand filter system successfully reduce TOC by 20.99% and bacterial load by 13.18 %. However, ammonia removal was minimal (1.04%), and nitrite levels increased significantly by 23.93% after filtration. These findings suggest that while sand filters are effective for reducing organic and microbial pollutants, they are insufficient for nitrogen compound management. The novelty of this study lies in its application of sand filtration in operational, high-salinity aquaculture environments- a context that remains underexplored in the literature. Further integration with biological filtration systems is recommended to enhance nitrogen removal and improve overall treatment efficiency