Technical Bulletin No. 0443: The Use of Standby Oxygen to Increase the Dissolved Oxygen Content in Treatment Plants and Receiving Waters

The contents of this bulletin present the kinetics of oxygen transfer and provide the latest solubility values for oxygen dissolved in fresh water and seawater in equilibrium with air. Oxygen transfer is also reviewed as a desorption process in the case of supersaturation. Locating sites to introduce oxygen is covered from the perspective of minimizing the quantity of oxygen which needs to be added to achieve a particular in-stream dissolved oxygen concentration. Because certain water quality criteria specify that a total dissolved gas concentration of 110 percent not be exceeded in fishable waters, the readily available information on the role of nitrogen versus oxygen as a factor in creating emboli in fish is also reviewed.