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A New Long-Term On Site Clean-Up Approach Applied to Non-Point Sources of Pollution

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Abstract

A new long-term approach to the cleaning-up of streams directly on site is proposed. This approach is based on the natural capacity of rivers to purify themselves through the discovered froth formation process. One of the important processes in stream self-purification is the decomposition of total organics by fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms. While the decomposition takes place, the entire water as well as the benthic soil is periodically enriched with biological surfactants and the generated dissolved biogases. Further, this system also contains dissolved air and all kinds of polluting particles, including man-made surfactants. Therefore, the next step in river self-purification–the generating of biogas and air bubbles, and the attaching of the polluting particles to the bubbles in the presence of surfactants should be considered. For the latter, the proper level of turbulence must exist. Water cascading over weirs, waterfalls and other obstacles, creating the shallow-turbulent character of water current, is the suitable condition. The particle–bubble aggregates will rise to the water surface and concentrate in the froth. The resulting froth comprises a high concentration of polluting agents–organic and inorganic, including pathogens. By testing a large number of the froth and the water samples, we proved our hypothesis that rivers possess their own environmental capacity to purify themselves from pollutants through the natural froth formation process. As a result, we can, without adding any chemicals, intervene directly on site in the clean-up of the stream that is heavily polluted from all kinds of polluting sources, including the non-point ones.

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  1. Ontario Centre for Ecology, 625 Evans Avenue, Suite 907, Toronto, Ontario, M8W 2W5, Canada

    Anatoliy I. Fisenko

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Fisenko, A.I. A New Long-Term On Site Clean-Up Approach Applied to Non-Point Sources of Pollution. Water Air Soil Pollut 156, 1–27 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WATE.0000036822.97934.7b

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WATE.0000036822.97934.7b

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