Study of the Influence of Clays on the Transfer of Dissolved Oxygen in Water

Abstract

Context: The lack of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water bodies has become a serious problem for several ecosystems due to drastic changes in their climatic, biological, and physical conditions. The presence of microorganisms, organic matter, and clays, which are carried by landslides and rainwater, affect the process of restoration and transfer of DO in water, thus making it necessary to study how these factors affect the process of DO transfer in water bodies. Method: This work is focused on studying the influence of clays during the DO transfer process in water bodies. To this effect, samples of clays from the region of Paipa, Boyacá, were added in 1, 3 and 5% by weight into the samples of clean water. The aeration process was performed using a constant flow diffusion system. The tests were carried out until the saturation of dissolved oxygen in each of the water samples was obtained. Results: The results show that the presence of clays during the transfer of DO have little influence on bodies of water. However, variations were observed in time intervals of <5 min in which the increase in the percentage of clays favored the transfer of DO. Conclusions: With these results, it is concluded that the presence of clays can generate a beneficial effect during the transfer of DO in bodies of water with a high oxygen deficiency, whereas, for water samples with a relatively high percentage of DO, clays can hinder the DO restoration process.