MEASUREMENTS OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AT WATER SURFACE

Gas transfer across the air-water interface is an important process for large-scale climate cycles as well as smaller environmental systems such as rivers, lakes, streams, and wastewater treatment basins. To improve the understanding of the basic principles involved in this phenomenon it is necessary to use suitable apparatus and experimental techniques. In this study, a microprobe has been used for measurements of oxygen concentration in an oscillating-grid tank. The microprobe has tip dimensions of the order of a few microns. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to measure, under controlled turbulence conditions that are representative for environmental situations, the fluctuating oxygen concentrations that take place in a boundary layer below the air-water interface.