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Many people simply dismiss the problem of lake and pond odors as inevitable. Lakes and ponds can become quite foul smelling and while traditional methods provide little in the way of methods that are able to eliminate odors from ponds, Orb-3 ®Lake and Pond products can provide an effective solution. The key to the elimination of foul odors from ponds is to attain an understanding of the pollutants that cause the odors and how they can be counteracted in a way that they cease to foul the air around them.
Causes of Odors in Lakes and Ponds
Not surprisingly, the primary source of unpleasant "odors in lakes and ponds" is fish. A common household aquarium is a great way to understand the extent to which fish can foul the water. If fish are kept in an aquarium, the water will soon grow murky from their wastes. It will also take on a characteristic unpleasant odor. Changing the water serves to remedy the situation but what would happen if the water was never changed? The ammonia levels of the water would rise due to fish excretions. The odor of the water would become even more unpleasant and eventually, the pH would rise to toxic levels and the fish would become comatose and then die.
Lakes and ponds are much like giant aquariums. There are some significant differences, however. In an aquarium, the fish wastes tend to circulate in the water as a result of aeration and pumps. In lakes and ponds, these wastes will settle and form a foul smelling, nutrient rich sludge. Given that ponds and lakes contain much larger volumes of water, it can take a great deal of time before ammonia levels become hazardous to the fish. In a large part, this is due to a natural mechanism that regulates the ammonia level of the water but not to an extent that it causes deodorization.
Algae will absorb ammonia from lakes and ponds. It acts much like a sponge, soaking up free ammonia with which it comes into contact. Algae will also absorb many of the other nutrients from the water that may have unpleasant effects. The trouble with algae is that its odor is no more pleasant than that of the ammonia. In some cases, algal blooms also become toxic. Another problem with algae is that when it dies off, all of the ammonia and nutrients that it has absorbed will reenter the water table. If an algal bloom was significant, this can have the effect of shocking the water and poisoning the fish life.
The Traditional Approach to Dealing with Ammonia
In commercial enterprises, ammonia levels have long been managed with algae. This method is more of a stopgap than an actual solution and simply trades one foul odor for another. If one wanted to deodorize a lake or pond, it would mean making use of harsh chemical additives including hydrochloric acid, which can be harmful to both the human using it and the fish in the pond.
While it has long been possible to manage ammonia in ponds, it has not been possible to do so in a safe or environmentally friendly manner. The fact is that traditional approaches to ammonia management did not solve odor problems but often, they just traded one odor for another.
A Modern Holistic Approach
Newer technologies have provided more environmentally sound solutions to the problem of odors in the Lake & Pond environment. Optimal results will be obtained by combining the power of enzyme technology with a properly designed aeration system to quickly release the build-up of gases, while breaking them down and removing them from the water body.
Enzymes are specialized proteins that exist in nature. They function as a catalyst in chemical reactions, causing them to speed up the natural degradation of compounds such as ammonia. By reducing these "smelly" compounds to their simpler components, the odors are eliminated and bacteria can digest them easier and faster.
What are enzymes? >>
The challenge with treating any compound is getting it in contact with the enzyme so that this reaction can occur. A properly designed aeration system will mix the water, putting the enzyme in constant contact with the substrate. In addition, it will cause the build-up of gases in the water to be released into the atmosphere and increase Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels in the water. The increase in oxygen levels will improve the efficiency of the aerobic bacteria that are present in the water, causing them to consume the substrate at a faster rate.
Over time, using these technologies in tandem will significantly improve the odor problem within the pond. For more help with solving your specific pond issues, contact your local limnologist or pond-care company, or complete the Orb-3 Lake & Pond Questionnaire for help using our technologies or a referral to a local pond-case specialist.
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