Dissolved oxygen is the oxygen content contained in water, where the percentage indicates the quality of the water. If there is a lot of oxygen found in water, it can be said that water has good quality. Meanwhile, if there is little oxygen in the water, it can be indicated that the water quality is poor or polluted.

However, pollution is not always one of the factors that influence oxygen levels in the water. There are also other factors that cause the amount of oxygen in the water to be less. The following are:

1. Temperature

Oxygen in water has an inversely and non-linear relationship with the surrounding temperature. This means when the ambient temperature of the room decreases, the solubility of oxygen will increase and the amount of oxygen in the water will increase. Conversely, when the room temperature is rising or hot, the solubility of oxygen in the water will decrease and the amount decreases.

Interestingly, there could be differences in the percentage of the amount of dissolved oxygen on the surface and the inside of the water. Especially when the water is inside a container that is placed outside the room. The top of the surface of the water will tend to get more sunlight so that heat is faster. While the bottom takes a long time to get hot. Therefore, the solubility of oxygen can be different at the top and bottom along with the heat obtained.

2. Water Flow Speed

Water that is in a stream tends to have more dissolved oxygen which spreads along with the flow of current that continues to occur. For example the flow of river water to the reservoir. Because river water continues to move and flow, the oxygen content in it will spread according to the mass of water that spreads and moves. You might find that there is less oxygen in the flow because it is carried by the flow.

This is different from when you take measurements of the amount of oxygen content in a liquid placed in a container. Because there is no flow, the oxygen content will remain stationary and gather at one point in the container. Therefore, the level of dissolved oxygen in the water in the container will generally tend to be more than that in the flow.

3. The Entry of Fluids or Other Elements

The entry of liquid or other elements into the water will affect the spread of oxygen, depending on the characteristics of the input. If other inputs have better quality with higher dissolved oxygen compared to the water being entered, then the water will change for better quality. Conversely, if the input has poorer quality with lower oxygen, then the water will be polluted by the presence of that input.

4. Organism Respiration

The existence of organisms that live in water will certainly affect the amount of oxygen in it. As you know, most organisms need oxygen to survive. If there are many organisms found in the water, then the amount of oxygen in it will be reduced because it is used to breathe or survive by the organisms in it.

Take for example pond water that contains vaname shrimp. At first, without the shrimp, the oxygen level in the water will remain a lot according to the initial amount. After adding the shrimp, the amount of oxygen will gradually decrease because the shrimp need oxygen to breathe. That's why shrimp ponds often get an additional supply of oxygen by using a waterwheel so that the shrimp in the pond get an adequate supply of oxygen.

To find out the level of dissolved oxygen in water, you can use the Mettler Toledo DO meter which accurately shows how much oxygen is in the water. Mettler Toledo will state the concentration of oxygen in both relative and absolute numbers. Intelligent Sensor Management will provide a strong digital signal so that the measurement results are accurate. Get Mettler Toledo on Hyprowira!