Review and harmonization of the life cycle global warming impact of five United States aquaponics systems

Global human population is estimated to increase by a few billion over the next century. Food security concerns has become more prevalent throughout the world. Conventional agriculture methods have been sufficient but have become increasingly unsustainable with the anticipated increase in global food demand. Alternative food production systems have been developed to mitigate the negative implications of conventional methods. Aquaponics is a food production method that utilizes a closed loop system to artificially propagate fish and plants. An aquaponics system takes the effluent water from the fish tank and cycles it to the plants to help mitigate waste streams from the system. Life cycle assessment is a tool that determines the environmental im-pacts of a product or process. A comparison using life cycle assessment methodologies was conducted between five United States centric aquaponics systems to determine the similarities between studies. Global warming potential was the main focus of the harmonization study due to the similarities in methods and units. When the life cycle assessments were dissected, it was found that the studies were similar and the differences were easily explained through disparities in assumptions, timescale, and operation sizes. Further work into aquaponics systems in the United States and assessing their environmental feasibility is nessecary to develop a more com-plete picture of any given system.

Automated summary

Global human population is increasing and food security is a growing concern worldwide. Conventional agriculture methods are insufficient to meet the rising food demand, leading to the development of alternative food production systems such as aquaponics. This study compared the environmental impacts of five United States centric aquaponics systems using life cycle assessment methodologies, with a focus on global warming potential. The results showed similarities among the studies, with differences explained by varying assumptions, timescale, and operation sizes. Further research is necessary to assess the environmental feasibility of aquaponics systems in the United States and gain a more comprehensive understanding.