Dissipation of Eutrophic Substances in Grass Carp Aquaculture Pond Water by Ozone

Abstract

Suspended solids (SS) have become the main cause of water quality deterioration in aquaculture ponds. The application of ozone to aquaculture water bodies can improve the water quality and facilitate the removal of suspended solids. We used different concentrations of ozone to oxidize aquaculture water and then determined the resulting concentration of suspended solids and their particle size distribution, as well as CODMn, UV254, algal density, and nitrogen content. The results showed the following: (i) The decrease in SS was the highest, amounting to 10.47%, after the addition of 2 mg/L of ozone and the completion of the oxidation reaction. Ozone caused the fragmentation of large SS particles and the flocculation of small particles, and these effects became more pronounced as the ozone concentration increased; (ii) After the introduction of ozone, the humus macromolecules naturally present in the water were oxidized, which improved the biochemical degradation of the water pollutants; (iii) Ozone oxidation caused the degradation of algae, resulting in a decrease in phytoplankton biomass and in the eutrophication of the water body; (iv) As the ozone concentration increased, the level of nitrous nitrogen decreased, while the concentrations of nitrate nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen were unchanged. The highest increase in total nitrogen was measured when 0.5 mg/L of ozone was applied. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of ozone to eliminate eutrophic substances in freshwater ponds.