Neutralization of Acid Lakes
The problem with acid lakes is that acid lakes consume water
hardness as the acid lakes are neutralized by liming. If the
water in the acid lakes were not acidic, the water hardness
would most likely be good, as it probably was centuries ago.
Calcium and magnesium present in most rock and mineral deposits
are dissolved into the water by acidic rain and groundwater. In
this case, acid rain performs a useful function of increasing
water hardness. Water hardness is nature’s way of removing
excess phosphorus from lakes. A common solution to increase
water hardness in acid lakes is to add lime, a high-alkalinity
calcium compound to the acid lakes. This method is only
temporary and very expensive, as it often needs to be applied
every year.
If
acid lakes can be neutralized without lime or other chemicals
after they enter the lake, acid deposition becomes an asset by
adding essential water hardness to the water. This may seem
radical at first, but should become obvious when explained.
What is little known is that lack of oxygen at the bottom of
acid lakes creates an environment favorable to anaerobic
bacteria, in which the anaerobes produce acids in the lakes. One
example of many is the anaerobic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide,
utilizing carbon dioxide to form sulfuric acid and formaldehyde.
Acid production at the sediment water interface is in addition
to, and is independent of acids entering the acid lakes by
precipitation.
Liming of acid lakes is the common solution to the problem. But
it is only a temporary fix of the result of the problem. This is
like taking an aspirin tablet to cure a headache, when the real
problem is a brain tumor. The cause of the problem is not
addressed. CLEAN-FLO International has engineered and developed
a complete
lake restoration
program designed to reverse the acidification of lakes. This
process not only removes the acids as they come into the acid
lakes from rain and groundwater, but also prevents the
production of acids at the bottom of lakes. Liming temporarily
neutralizes lakes, but does nothing about these two causes of
the problem. The problem soon returns.
Acid lakes are the result of carbonic acid, nitric acid and
sulfuric acid. The CLEAN-FLO process of acid lake restoration
first neutralizes the acidity of the lakes through a process
called
Continuous Laminar Flow Inversion and Oxygenation,
a process of continuous lake inversion and
lake aeration
from surface to bottom. In this process, carbon dioxide in
carbonic acid is exhausted to the atmosphere. Nitric acid is
reduced facultatively (at low oxygen levels) by bacteria called
pseudomonads, using nitric acid as an electron donor and carbon
in the sediment to produce nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide and
water. The nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases are exhausted to
the atmosphere, leaving a lake free of carbonic acid and nitric
acid. Sulfuric acid can be reduced to elemental sulfur by a
variety of aerobic bacteria.
The present condition of Sweden's and Norway’s acid lakes and of
acid lakes in the northwestern United States perpetuates an
environment which is neither favorable for aquatic plants nor
aquatic animals. By oxygenating the bottom water and getting rid
of anaerobes and the toxic gases that they produce, the acids at
the acid lake bottom are eliminated, and instead, an environment
favorable for aquatic fish and insect life results, with limited
aquatic plant growth.
Continuous Laminar Flow Inversion and Oxygenation exposes every
drop of water in the lake to the atmosphere several times a
week. This exposure to the atmosphere releases the carbon
dioxide in carbonic acid, much the same as a bottle of pop water
releases carbon dioxide when you shake it. We have given a
simple demonstration for students, having a student blow into a
glass of water with a straw to produce carbonic acid, measured
the pH, and used a food blender to agitate the water. After
blowing into the water, the pH became acid. After stirring the
water, the pH became neutral.
As
an alternative, one can perform a simple test by measuring the
pH of a bottle of carbonated water (weak carbonic acid), then
shake it and measure the pH again. As carbon dioxide is
exhausted to the atmosphere, pH of the water increases.
While the nitrate in nitric acid is converted to nitrogen gas
and water by inversion in combination with microbial action at
the lake bottom, it is important that the nitrogen gas be
exhausted to the atmosphere without turbulent mixing to prevent
nitrogen toxicity to fish. Our process does this well.
It
is absolutely impossible for
hypolimnetic aeration
to perform either of these tasks.
In
addition to the sulfur deposition from aerobic digestion of
sulfates, once the inversion and oxygenation has conditioned the
water so that larger aquatic fauna can live, sulfate becomes an
important food source for these fauna.
We
consistently get sulfate, nitrogen and carbonic acid reductions
and increases in pH in acid lakes, even without lime.
It
is crucial however, that high dissolved oxygen levels be
maintained at the sediment water interface and this has only
been accomplished via Continuous Laminar Flow Inversion and
Oxygenation. Acid lake neutralization cannot be obtained by
liming alone, or by hypolimnetic aeration of acid lakes.
For a FREE estimate of your acid lake neutralization project,
please fill out the appropriate questionnaire.
Complete pond questionnaire to receive
a FREE proposal for your pond
Complete pond questionnaire to receive a
FREE proposal for your lake
Complete pond questionnaire to receive a
FREE proposal for your reservoir
Complete pond questionnaire to receive a
FREE proposal for your river
Complete pond questionnaire to receive a
FREE proposal for your wastewater
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