Production of Gas Supersaturation by Aeration

Abstract
The use of submerged aerators in hatcheries can produce lethal concentrations of dissolved gases. Because the mass-transfer relationships for oxygen, nitrogen, and argon are similar, the aerators with the highest oxygen transfer efficiencies also produce the highest concentration of total dissolved gas. The dissolved-gas concentrations produced by aeration depend on ΔS∞, the percent gas supersaturation in the aeration basin after a long period of aeration divided by the depth of the aeration basin; N0, the standard transfer efficiency; the depth of the aeration basin; and the number of aerators used in series. The effect of these parameters on dissolved-gas concentrations are presented for conditions typical of trout and salmon hatcheries. The prevention of lethal and sublethal gas concentrations will result in a significant decrease in the efficiency of submerged aeration systems for oxygen transfer in aquaculture.

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