Use of an oxygen-releasing compound to aerate eutrophic reservoir water

This study examined the use of an Oxygen Release Compound (ORC) as a slow release chemical aeration agent within eutrophic surface water systems. Bench and pilot-scale experiments involving ORC treatment of eutrophic reservoir water were conducted to determine operational properties of ORC and examine its performance as an aeration agent within a surface water environment. The bench-scale study involved the application of 10, 25 and 50 g ORC doses to 1 L Erlenmeyer flasks containing various water and sediment samples. The pilot-scale study involved a scaled up simulation of full-scale reservoir systems using large fiberglass tanks, where water quality parameters in an ORC-treated tank were compared to an untreated tank over a 4 month period. The results of these experiments indicate that the application of ORC can result in substantial increases in dissolved oxygen and pH when applied to deoxygenated water systems. Within the pilot scale study, a 300 g/m2 dose of ORC at the sediment water interface prevented the onset of anoxic conditions over a 4 month growing season period, releasing approximately 20% of its mass as oxygen within this time frame.