RESUMO
This experimental work was conducted to examine the possibility of reusing primary and secondary treated wastewater to rear Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The bacteriological examination of primary and secondary treated effluents proved the absence of Salmonella and Shigella spp and the presence of E. Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Aeromonas hydrophila. The microbial pollution was eliminated using an irradiation dose level of 15 kGy, while heavy metals were controlled by the use of ion exchange resin. The chemical and microbiological analyses of fish organs revealed no evidence of any public health hazards which could be associated with the reuse of primary and secondary wastewater in aquaculture, especially that subjected to a secondary treatment before irradiation and ion exchange application. The growth rate of fish grown in treated wastewater was relatively higher than those grown in dechlorinated tap water