Measurements of Sediment Oxygen Demand Characteristics of the Upper Illinois Waterway

Butts, Thomas A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/77786 Copy

Description

Title

Measurements of Sediment Oxygen Demand Characteristics of the Upper Illinois Waterway

Author(s)

Butts, Thomas A.

Issue Date

1974

Keyword(s)

• Dissolved oxygen
• river sediments
• sampling
• sediment oxygen demand
• Upper Illinois Waterway
• water pollution

Abstract

Oxygen demand characteristics of bottom sediments for a 113-mile reach of the Upper Illinois Waterway were measured in situ at 22 locations in order to assess the effects of such demand on the dissolved oxygen resources of the overlying water. For the measurements of sediment oxygen demand (SOD), a bottom sampler was specially designed to entrap and seal a quantity of water at the river bottom. Changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations within the entrapped water were recorded by a DO probe fastened in the sampler. SOD values for 20 undisturbed bottom locations ranged from 0.56 to 5.00 grams per square meter per day (g/m2/day), and values at 2 disturbed locations were 6.45 and 8.08 g/m2 /day. The oxygen demands of sediments in many parts of the waterway are sufficiently high to impose a significant demand on the DO content of the overly ing water. In addition to SOD measurements, 172 bottom samples were collected, described in detail, and analyzed for percent organic and dried solids content. Expressions for the relationship between these percentages and the SOD rates were developed and used to estimate probable SODs at the various sampling sites. Subsequent charts of the river bed depict the ranges of SOD values useful in engineering analyses of the waste assimilative capacity of the Upper Illinois Waterway.

Publisher

Illinois State Water Survey

Series/Report Name or Number

Report of Investigation (Illinois State Water Survey) RI-076

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/77786

Copyright and License Information

Copyright, University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved. This document is a product of the Illinois State Water Survey, and has been selected and made available by the Illinois State Water Survey and the University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended for research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

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