Desenvolvimento de sistema eletrônico e metodologia para estimar a concentração de dióxido de carbono na aquicultura

Abstract

Aquaculture is a growing productive sector in Brazil, which has consolidated itself as a relevant economic activity in national agribusiness. Despite the growth, automation in this area is still limited compared to other industrial sectors, presenting challenges and opportunities for improving production efficiency and reducing environmental impacts, such as the carbon footprint. In this context, automation can make a significant contribution to monitoring and controlling greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂), during the cultivation of aquatic organisms in excavated ponds. In this study, an innovative electronic system and methodology were developed to estimate carbon dioxide emissions in excavated pond environments using ESP32 microcontrollers and temperature and CO₂ sensors. The system was initially tested in greenhouses installed in western Paraná, allowing data to be collected in different weather conditions and at different times of day. Preliminary results revealed significant correlations between temperature and CO₂ concentration, indicating that in outdoor environments, daytime heating tends to reduce the concentration of this gas, while inside the greenhouses, CO₂ levels remained more stable, at around 400 p.p.m for clear days and 416 p.p.m for cloudy days. At night, the average CO₂ concentration was 588 p.p.m outdoors and 416.8 p.p.m inside the greenhouses. These results highlight the importance of using automation technologies to accurately monitor emissions in aquaculture systems, providing crucial data for estimating the carbon footprint and developing mitigation strategies in line with the growing demands for sustainability in the sector. Further research is needed to strengthen the knowledge base on carbon emissions in aquaculture, promoting innovation and competitiveness in this sector in Brazil.