Oxygen Saturation - Environmental Oxygen Saturation

Environmental Oxygen Saturation

Oxygen saturation in the environment generally refers to the amount of oxygen dissolved in the soil or bodies of water. Environmental oxygenation can be important to the sustainability of a particular ecosystem. A well-mixed body of water will be fully saturated, with approximately 10mg/L at 15 °C (here is a table of dissolved oxygen versus temperature). Insufficient oxygen (environmental hypoxia), often caused by the decomposition of organic matter, may occur in bodies of water such as ponds and rivers, tending to suppress the presence of aerobic organisms such as fish. Deoxygenation increases the relative population of anaerobic organisms such as plants and some bacteria, resulting in fish kills and other adverse events. The net effect is to alter the balance of nature by increasing the concentration of anaerobic over aerobic species.