Ok, that is what I get for posting a comment at 0500 in the morning! I was typing without thinking it through. Yes, I mis-typed when I said that ponds are achieving water changes by evaporation...that is grammer school science class. Concentration of items in the water increases as the water is evaproated and is diluted when a rain event occurs.
After looking through my notes from that bacteria seminar I attended and speaking with our bacteria supplier here is what I have:
Bacterial/Enzyme products improve water quality by increasing the biological diversity and/or activity in the water body. As I mentioned earlier, special microbial cultures are generated for specific applications. (Saw Dust wood pulp)
The select bacteria produce enzymes to break down organic material into water soluble nutrients. The bacteria then digest the released nutrients, multiply and produce more enzymes to continue cleaning the entire system. A large biological mass develops which has the capacity to digest large amounts of organic waste. This mass will only be as large as the water body allows like Doug said earlier. The digestion process of the microorganisms ultimately results in the production of harmless carbon dioxide and water.
The type of enzyme produced by the bacteria is dependent on the organic waste that it will break down:
1. Protease enzymes digest proteins;
2. Amylase enzymes digest starches;
3. Lipase enzymes break down fats, oils and grease;
4. and Cellulase enzymes digest paper and cellulosic fibers.
Because bacteria and enzymes work together in the digestion process, the selected blend of the two is what is very important. The enzymes jump-start the digestion, while the chosen strains of bacteria produce more of the specific enzymes necessary to digest the particular type of organic waste in the system. **Can't put the cart before the horse.**
The idea of seeding an organic system with microorganisms having specific characteristics is well established for industries of fermentation. These areas include processes for the manufacture of antibiotics, cheese (both aged and cottage type), yogurt, wine, beer and even pesticides. I also mentioned Aquariums earlier today.
Bioaugmentation is the process of inoculating specific microflora into a given environment to enhance certain biochemical processes or to jump start desirable changes in that environment.
Bioaugmentation that is found commonly in wastewater plants usually involves a specific microbial product added at levels ranging from 2.0 to 8.0 parts per million (mg/l) times influent volume. Of course the dosage depends upon the type of waste to be treated, environmental parameters of the water, how long the water stays in the system and design of the system.
Just like in the wastewater pond above, the environmental parameters, or factors affecting the performance of the microbes, are essential to the success of the product in normal fish and detention ponds. The environmental parameters of the system include:
1. pH,
2. temperature,
3. dissolved oxygen (DO),
4. biochemical oxygen demand (BOD),
5. chemical oxygen demand (COD),
6. total suspended solids (TSS),
7. carbon,
8. nitrogen,
9. phosphorous ratio (C:N:P)
10. detention time.
These microbes require neutral pH, warm temperature, plenty of oxygen, appropriate nutrients, and time to degrade the organics.
Because this information is almost never attained, and the cost of a custom blend of bacteria and enzymes would be so large that no one would ever purchase it, the growers of bacteria had to make generalized assumptions on the majority of pond conditions found and create a blend that will work in most applications. That being said, microbe bioaugmentation is just another tool in the preverbial "Aquatic Tool Box".
Suggestion: while researching for products, compare them on their bacteria count (aerobic, anaerobic, facultative and total plate count), type of enzymes present and cost per application.
The microrganism within a system are constantly undergoing changes in both numbers and types of microorganisms represented in the population. These changes are affected by environmental influences such as temperature, sources of carbon or nitrogen waste, heavy metal concentration as well as other toxic substances, dissolved oxygen levels, and many other factors.
Given a sufficient length of retention time in ponds proper conditions for oxidation of the waste, bioaugmentation can be used as another tool to increase the efficiency and reliability of treatment.
Ok, I spent way too long on this with binders and notes spread all over my desk...time to get back to work. Thank you everyone for reading this over and now go and get yourself some yogurt, cheese and have some fried murell mushrooms...you'll have your three main food groups...bacteria, mold and fungus.
