Identifying a Pollution « Tales of the Riverbank

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In iron rich water, naturally occuring bacteria can sometimes give the appearance of oil on the surface.

Posted in Identifying a Pollution on November 15, 2011 | Comments Off

Some oil-like films, coatings, and slimes, although they may look bad, are natural phenomena. These phenomena can be caused by bacteria such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans (Iron Bacteria). Slimes, oil-like films, and rock coatings are often made by bacteria that are reacting to the presence of minerals in the water. Bacteria live in wet areas, including: [...]

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The curse of the Red River! – A simple explanation…

Posted in Identifying a Pollution on November 15, 2011 | Comments Off

In many parts of the country, but especially in areas that are/have been mined for coal, you may seen some watercourses that are bright red or orange. Whilst the discharge itself is usually crystal clear, the bed of the watercourse below the discharge can be coated in a rusty deposit. What is this rusty deposit! ? Well [...]

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#OilPollution – Spillages of oil and fuel are hazardous to river life and fish.

Posted in Identifying a Pollution on October 19, 2011 | Comments Off

If a watercourse is polluted with oil, you will see different visible effects depending on the amount. Small amounts of oil on a river, canal or lake will appear as a thin dull layer on the surface. Generally, this means that the quantity of oil is very small, but we will still investigate. It is [...]

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Low levels of oxygen in water can affect fish and other aquatic life. What to look for?:

Posted in Identifying a Pollution on October 18, 2011 | Comments Off

Different types of fish need varying amounts of oxygen in the water. Trout and Salmon are very active fish and generally thrive best in clean rivers with a high level of dissolved oxygen. Course fish such and Chub & Carp will survive in water containing lower oxygen levels. If a pollution incident causes the oxygen [...]

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