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Quantitatively, data collected over twenty four hours showed an increase in effluent turbidity when comparing the experiment run with saturated air to the control experiment. (Show the graphs.) We ran this experiment on both high and low floc blanket formationlevels. In the high floc blanket formation state the floc blanket level is above the plate settlers. In the low floc blanket formation the floc blanket formation level is below the plate settlers. The presence of air bubbles could break up some floc particles and force floc particles up into the clarified effluent. Floc particles attached to air bubbles could potentially travel through the tube settler when they would normally settle out.
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It was expected that these bubbles would disturb floc blanket formation, permitting more floc particles to leave with the sedimentation column effluent. An increase in effluent turbidity and the appearance of bubbles in the apparatus supported this hypothesis. If AguaClara is considering to build a plant which would traverse altitude drops and climbs, results from this experiment should be considered. (AguaClara doesn't "build" plants. AguaClara designs plants.)
Future experiments relating to saturated water in the plant could include bubble removal before floc blanket formation. However, the true effects of saturated air on the experiment cannot be fully determined until the chemical drop waterfall effect is controlled. When chemicals are dropped into the system, such as alum, they create surface bubbles that disturb the system. It is not well understood whether if �if- bubbles created from the hydraulic jump in the chemical dose controller falling jets are the potential cause of worsened performance in plate settler effluent or if worsened performance is caused more by the presence of supersaturated air in some plants.