Evaluating the ecological and agricultural benefits of intelligent sustainable green energy floating gardens: impacts on microorganisms and vegetable growth.

Abstract

In Taiwan, ecological water bodies are often impacted by domestic wastewater. To address the limitations of traditional water treatment facilities and artificial wetlands, this study developed the sustainable green energy floating garden (SGEFG), an economical and multifunctional solution integrating water purification with organic vegetable cultivation. A 1.2 × 1.2-m prototype was deployed in Jing Lake for a 12-month field trial across four seasons. Results showed effective removal of ammonia nitrogen (66%), nitrate nitrogen (64%), total nitrogen (53%), and total phosphorus (15%), particularly during the warm and humid growing season (March to October). Microbial surveys revealed an increase in less pollution-tolerant algal species, and vegetable growth monitoring confirmed that plants could absorb nutrients directly from the water without fertilizers. These findings demonstrate the SGEFG's potential to contribute to green building standards through environmental remediation, food production, and landscape enhancement.