Why Put Lime Into a Pond free essay sample

Ponds naturally become more and more acidic throughout the day. This is because rain, pine needles, decaying plants, and clay pond bottoms all contribute to acidity. If the pH level of the pond water falls below 4, the water has become too acidic to sustain fish life. Lime can neutralize this acidity, raise the pH, with the following process: Lime is calcium oxide. Calcium oxide reacts with carbon dioxide, forming calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate neutralizes the acids that form naturally in ponds. This happens because when the lime is in contact with the water, it chemically changes into calcium hydroxide. The important part of this step is to know that the O ions come together with the H ions, as seen below: CaO(s) + H2O(l) Ca(OH)2(s) The OH ions are the bases. In acidic water, many H3O+ ions will be present. These are the acids. When an acid in base come together, they neutralize, or cancel each other out. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Put Lime Into a Pond? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They turn into water as seen below: H3O+ + OH- 2H2O Fish can live in a wide range of pH, but if the pH changes rapidly the fish will die. Therefore, lime is put into ponds as an indirect source of OH- ions to neutralize with the H3O+ ions that form naturally from acid sources such as rain and pine needles. A common environmental problem in ponds that can be treated with lime is levels of pathogens. The alkali calcium hydroxide can create pH levels up to 12. 4. At levels 12 and up, many dangerous pathogens cannot survive, because their cell membrane would be destroyed. However, this method of treating pathogens would only be efficient in a pond where fish can be temporarily removed. Fish can only survive between pH levels of 4 and 10. Also, there are times when a pond can have too many nutrients. For instance, if there are many dead carcasses or if there is a lot of waste, eutrophication occurs. This can lead to a surplus of algae. SOURCES: Base (chemistry) -. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 26 July 2009. . Calcium hydroxide -. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 26 July 2009. . Chemical of the Week Lime. Science is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri. 26 July 2009 . Environmental Uses of Lime. National Lime Association. 26 July 2009