Abstract

Aquatic pollution is a critical challenge for aquaculture systems, affecting the health, growth and survival of cultured species. Contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and organic pollutants accumulate in water bodies and sediments, disrupting the ecological balance and degrading water quality. The pollutants which arise from the anthropogenic activities were not removed efficiently in the wastewater treatment plant and find its occurrence in water-sediment matrices of natural aquatic ecosystem which are being primarily used as a water source for the aquaculture activities. These pollutants exert toxic effects on cultured aquatic organisms, impairing vital physiological processes like growth, reproduction and immunity. Addressing these challenges requires effective remediation strategies, including biological and chemical methods, soil vapor extraction and pump-and-treat systems, to manage and mitigate the impact of pollutants in aquaculture environments. This chapter summarizes the aquatic pollutants contaminating aquaculture waters, toxic effect on the cultured species and the remediation measures.