Experimental study on total dissolved gas supersaturation in water

More and more high dams have been constructed and operated in China. The total dissolved gas （TDG） supersaturation caused by dam discharge leads to gas bubble disease or even death of fish, Through a series of experiments, the conditions and requirements of supersaturated TDG generation were examined in this study. The results show that pressure （water depth）, aeration, and bubble dissolution time are required for supersaturated TDG generation, and the air-water contact area and turbulence intensity are the main factors that affect the generation rate of supersaturated TDG. The TDG supersaturation levels can be reduced by discharging water to shallow shoals downstream of the dam or using negative pressure pipelines. Furthermore, the TDG supersaturation levels in stilling basins have no direct relationship with those in reservoirs. These results are of great importance for further research on the prediction of supersaturated TDG generation caused by dam discharge and aquatic protection.

Effects of gas supersaturation on lethality and avoidance responses in juvenile rock carp(Procypris rabaudi Tchang)

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effects of total dissolved gas （TDG） supersaturation on acute lethality and avoidance responses in juvenile rock carp （Procypris rabaudi Tchang）. The juvenile rock carp were exposed to water with different levels of supersaturation （105%, 115%, 120%, 125%, 130%, 135%, 140%, and 145%） and depth of 0.20 m at 25℃ for 60 h. Median lethal time （LT50） was used to assess the lethal responses corresponding to different levels of gas supersaturation. The results show that half of the juvenile rock carp died at the 120%, 125%, 130%, 135%, 140%, and 145% levels of supersaturation, and the LT50 corresponding to different levels of supersaturation was 18.7, 15.4, 8.2, 6.6, 3.5, and 1.7 h. When the level of supersaturated water is below 115%, the mortality is negligible. Avoidance responses were observed 5 min after the fish were put into equilibrated water （99%, 0.08 m deep） and water with different supersaturated levels （105%, 115%, 125%, 135%, and 145%, 0.08 m deep） at 25 ℃. The fish exhibited strong avoidance responses in supersaturated water when the gas supersaturation was above 135%. However, they exhibited an obvious preference to supersaturated water when the gas supersaturation was below 115%. Thus, the juvenile rock carp can likely survive in water with a supersaturated level of 115%.

Nitrogen Gas Saturation in Karst Springs Varies Throughout the Day

This experiment examined the fluctuations in nitrogen gas supersaturation throughout the day in three karst springs (upper, side, and lower) at McNenny State Fish Hatchery, rural Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota, USA. Total gas pressures, oxygen percent saturation, and nitrogen percent saturation were recorded six times/day on eight days over a 26-day period in each of the three springs. Total gas pressure did not vary significantly throughout the day in any of the springs. However, percent oxygen and nitrogen saturation were significantly different throughout the day in all three springs. The highest mean (SE) nitrogen supersaturation value of 118.5 (1.1)% was observed in the lower spring at 07:00. The lowest mean nitrogen supersaturation values were 114.5 (1.1)% at 13:00 in the upper spring, and 114.2 (0.2)% and 113.1 (0.7)% at 15:00 in the side and lower spring, respectively. At 118% nitrogen supersaturation, gas bubble disease is likely to occur in fish, resulting in potentially high levels of mortality if untreated spring water was used for fish production. The results of this study indicate the importance of recording nitrogen gas levels at sunrise or early in the morning, when nitrogen is highest and oxygen is lowest, to obtain accurate and reproducible data.

Growth rate,catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in rock carp(Procypris rabaudi Tchang) exposed to supersaturated total dissolved gas

Total dissolved gas supersaturation(TDGS) appears when the pressures of gases in a solution exceed the barometric pressures.TDGS is often caused by flood discharge at dams.It may lead to gas bubble disease(GBD) for fish and biochemical responses of selected fish and other aquatic organisms.The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of long-term TDGS levels on the growth and biochemical responses of rock carp(Procypris rabaudi Tchang) dwelling in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.Three-year-old rock carp were exposed to TDGS levels at 100%,104%,108%,112%,and 116% for 42 d.Samples were taken every 7 d after the start of the trial in order to determine catalase(CAT) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities in gill and muscle tissues.Samples were taken at Days 0 and 42 of exposure to determine growth rate.Little effect was found on growth rate in all treatment groups.SOD and CAT activities varied in different tissues,according to time of exposure and TDGS levels.The biochemical response of fish exposed to TDGS was more obvious in gill tissue than in muscle tissue.Surveys of SOD and CAT activities in different tissues offer important information about the effect of TDGS on the rare fish in the Yangtze River,and may help evaluate the risk to the aquatic eco-environment and aquatic ecosystem in the downstream of the Yangtze River.

Effects of total dissolved gas supersaturated water on lethality and catalase activity of Chinese sucker(Myxocyprinus asiaticus Bleeker)

Total dissolved gas(TDG) supersaturation caused by dam sluicing can result in gas bubble trauma(GBT) in fish and threaten their survival.In the present study,Chinese suckers(Myxocyprinus asiaticus Bleeker) were exposed to TDG supersaturated water at levels ranging from 120% to 145% for 48 h.The median lethal concentration(LC 50) and the median lethal time(LT 50) were determined to evaluate acute lethal effects on Chinese suckers.The results showed that the LC 50 values of 4,6,8,and 10 h were 142%,137%,135%,and 130%,respectively.The LT 50 values were 3.2,4.7,7.8,9.2,and 43.4 h,respectively,when TDG supersaturated levels were 145%,140%,135%,130%,and 125%.Furthermore,the biological responses in Chinese suckers were studied by assaying the catalase(CAT) activities in gills and muscles at the supersaturation level of 140% within LT 50.The CAT activities in the gills and muscle tissues exhibited a regularity of a decrease after an increase.CAT activities in the muscles were increased significantly at 3/5LT 50(P<0.05) and then came back to the normal level.However,there were no significant differences between the treatment group(TDG level of 140%) and the control group(TDG level of 100%) on CAT activities in the gills before 3/5LT 50(P>0.05),but the activities were significantly lower than the normal level at 4/5LT 50 and LT 50(P<0.05).

SIMULATIONS OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL TOTAL DISSOLVED GAS SATURATION DOWNSTREAM OF SPILLWAYS UNDER UNSTEADY CONDITIONS

Dams are often operated in a way to discharge over the spillways,which would cause a high dissolved concentration of air and be harmful to fish.The bubble transfer and the water surface transfer play an important role in affecting the concentration of the Total Dissolved Gas（TDG）.Based on recent numerical simulations of the total dissolved gas saturation,in this article,a two-phase TDG transport equation is adopted to develop an unsteady three-dimensional（3-D） two-phase flow Computational Fluid Dynamics（CFD） model,including a number of parameters such as water depth,pressure and air volume entrained.This model is used to predict the hydrodynamics and the TDG distribution under unsteady discharge conditions.Good agreement between measured and numerical results is obtained for a case study.

Experimental study on the impact of temperature on the dissipation process of supersaturated total dissolved gas

Water temperature not only affects the solubility of gas in water but can also be an important factor in the dissipation process of supersaturated total dissolved gas （TDG）. The quantitative relationship between the dissipation process and temperature has not been previously described. This relationship affects the accurate evaluation of the dissipation process and the subsequent biological effects. This article experimentally investigates the impact of temperature on supersaturated TDG dissipation in static and turbulent conditions. The results show that the supersaturated TDG dissipation coefficient increases with the temperature and turbulence intensity. The quantitative relationship was verified by straight flume experiments. This study enhances our understanding of the dissipation of supersaturated TDG. Furthermore, it provides a scientific foundation for the accurate prediction of the dissipation process of supersaturated TDG in the downstream area and the negative imp）acts of high dam projects on aquatic ecosystems.