Abstract

The use of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production has become increasingly common. RAS water disinfection plays a crucial role on its biosecurity. Peracetic acid (PAA) is a promising disinfectant due to its powerful oxidative properties, broad antimicrobial spectrum, and rapid degradation into no harmful compounds. This study focused on assessing the consequences of prolonged application of a PAA-based disinfectant in a RAS stocked with salmon parr. The experiment included three treatment groups in triplicate: 0 mg/L PAA (control), 0.1 mg/L PAA, and 1 mg/L PAA, using nine-replicated RAS with a total of 360 fish (14.8 ± 2.3 g; N = 40/RAS). The study spanned 28 days, with samples collected on days 0, 14, and 28. The analyzed parameters were water quality, and fish parameters, including external welfare indicators, gill histology, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species (ROC/RNC), oxidative stress biomarkers related to DNA and protein, cellular DNA damage, and global gene expression. While water quality remained relatively stable, there was an increase in bacterial populations in the groups exposed to PAA, particularly 1 mg/L PAA. Fish weight did not differ between the control and PAA-exposed groups. TAC, ROC/RNC, and oxidative stress biomarkers exhibited similar trends. The study identified >400 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the skin, gill, and olfactory organ, with many of these DEGs associated with immune responses. Comparing the transcriptomic profiles of the three tissue organs revealed that the olfactory organ was the most reactive to PAA treatment. This study shows that calculated PAA concentrations of 0.1 mg/L and 1 mg/L in the pump-sump, contributed to an increase of bacteria whereas no detectable differences in health and welfare of salmon parr were found. These findings are promising for the implementation of PAA-based disinfectants in RAS stoked with Atlantic salmon parr.