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The crisis of lack of oxygen: What factors turn water bodies into "water of death"
Global water resources management is facing increasingly severe challenges. The deterioration of water quality, especially the lack of oxygen, has put many water bodies into a nightmare situation. Whether natural lakes or artificial ponds, the oxygen content in many water bodies has dropped sharply, triggering the collapse of ecosystems, especially threatening the survival of aquatic life.
The relationship between water quality and oxygen
The quality of water directly affects the health of aquatic organisms, and one of the most fundamental factors is the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO).
When the dissolved oxygen concentration in water drops below a critical value, an anoxic or anaerobic environment is formed, which causes the ecosystem of the water body to no longer be able to support the survival of organisms.
Many aquatic fish and other organisms require adequate oxygen to survive; in addition, the activity of aerobic bacteria is essential for the decomposition of organic matter. If the oxygen concentration is too low, the survival of aquatic organisms may be in danger.
Causes of oxygen deficiency
Lack of oxygen in water is often caused by a variety of human factors, including but not limited to sewage discharge, agricultural runoff, and overfishing leading to water disturbance.
With the growth of human activities, many water bodies have suffered from pollution, leading to a decrease in oxygen levels and the subsequent death of water bodies.
Necessity of water aeration
In order to solve these problems, aeration of water bodies has become a key technology. Aeration is the process of increasing or maintaining oxygen saturation in water, which generally helps improve water quality and enhance the survival of aquatic organisms.
Aeration methods and techniques
Aeration methods can be roughly divided into two types: surface aeration and underground aeration. These methods have their own characteristics and techniques and are suitable for different environments and needs.
Natural Aeration
Natural aeration is done by aquatic plants, which release oxygen during photosynthesis, maintaining oxygen levels in the water. In addition, wind can effectively stir the water surface and promote the entry of oxygen into the water.
Surface aeration
Low velocity surface aerator
This equipment is very efficient and is often used for biological aeration, mainly in sewage treatment. They have a power range up to 250kW and are renowned for their excellent water mixing effects.
Fountain
Fountains use water jets to inject oxygen into the air, but despite their beauty they cannot cover large areas of water. The use of fountains is often limited for safety reasons.
Floating Surface Aerator
These devices operate at the water surface and do not provide the wide-area mixing effect that slow-speed aerators do. They primarily affect the uppermost layers of the water column.
Underground aeration
Subsurface aeration raises oxygen in the water by releasing bubbles at the bottom of the water, which come into contact with the water as they rise, thereby facilitating the transfer of oxygen. Various technologies such as jet aeration and coarse and fine bubble aeration make this process possible.
Large-Scale Oxidation Project
In some large-scale water renovations, such as the Thames in London, special oxygen chambers are used to deal with the oxygen reduction problem caused by sewage pipes overflowing during heavy rains. These chambers not only help replenish oxygen, but also effectively improve the water quality of the river.
ConclusionLack of oxygen in water bodies has become one of the major challenges for global water resources management. Through effective water quality management, aeration techniques and pollution reduction, it may be possible to restore these damaged ecosystems. However, how can we jointly respond to this challenge is the most important issue at present?
