Can aquaponic, bioponic, and hydroponic become dangerous ?

[Bob Campbell]

I wonder how dangerous aquaponic, bioponic, and hydroponic can become...
Harmful algal bloom (HAB) are capable of producing a number of toxins that may pose a risk to human and animal health. HABs occur when excess nitrogen and phosphorus are present in lakes and streams. Such nutrients can come from runoff of over-fertilized fields and lawns, from malfunctioning septic systems and from livestock pens

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/26178506/breaking-urgent-notice

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Well as long as it's algae in your system and not cyanobacteria, your safe :) ...and if it really is a cyanobacteria in your system and not algae capable of producing toxins, just don't drink the AP Koolaide...

[Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr.]

Greetings. Folks don't talk about it much till now (at last) but traditional agriculture is one of the largest or largest source of greenhouse gas and pollution. For example due to years of poor agricultural practices, much of the groundwater around Phoenix is so contaminated with nitrate that you don't need to apply fertilizer on the fields you use it on. Same thing is true with salt. Our water here is liquid rock coming out of the taps anyway. This salt builds up in irrigated fields till they become non productive. The only way to prevent this is to over irrigate pushing the salt down. The result has been in some areas the ground water as some levels is so salty that you can grow salt water shrimp in it. http://www.visitarizona.com/things-to-do/desert-sweet-shrimp-gila-b...

Regarding algae, many kinds of algae release toxins. For example golden algae are a continual problem in local lakes: http://www.azgfd.gov/temp/golden_alga_faqs.shtml

This issue in all of these cases is discharge and the quality of that discharge. Hydroponics has a nutrient filled toxic discharge. However aquaponics does for the most part not since it is a recirculating system with few external nutrient inputs. Also unless you are using a green water system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_multi-trophic_aquaculture) your plants are likely outcompeting any algae for nutrients thus making it unlikely they will bloom. Quite frankly, to me, aquaponics is a major solution (though far from the only one) to many of the ag based pollution problems we are seeing. 

[Jim Fisk]

I'll be sure to keep "over-fertilized fields and lawns, malfunctioning septic systems and livestock pen run-off" out of my AP system. Hey Bob, get some uppers. Such dire postings. Our fish are our canaries, btw.

[Bob Campbell]

Rude comments like yours are why you don't see me post here very often.

Jim Fisk said:

I'll be sure to keep "over-fertilized fields and lawns, malfunctioning septic systems and livestock pen run-off" out of my AP system. Hey Bob, get some uppers. Such dire postings. Our fish are our canaries, btw.

[Jim Fisk]

Seriously Bob, some positive posts now and again would be appreciated. Why such downers? This is a trend. We know you are a smart guy and have much to contribute but you are bringing us down with such dire posts. That was not rude to anyone with a sense of humor but we have gone there before, have we not. I will try and ignore your bummer posts in the future, I promise.