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Burning Down the Pond (LONG!! but someone may be interested)
On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 22:15:02 -0500, Mike Patterson
wrote: Really like my new pond, finally seem to have the surrounding drainage problem and the Mysterious Water Loss After Heavy Rain problem fixed, so now I'm thinking... How about if I run black gas pipe out to the the back end of the pond, put on a valve there, then something like icemaker tubing into the pond so that gas bubbles up near the center, then light it. I wouldn't run it all the time, but it'd be a cool effect for parties. Would there be any adverse repercussions to the fish? Replying to my own post here as an FYI for those interested. The following excerpt is from the Material Safety Data Sheet on propane. http://www.vmpropane.com/pdf/safetydata.pdf QUOTE: Section X TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION OSHA Carcinogen Classification (29 CFR 1910) Not listed/applicable___X___ U.S. Department of Health (21 CFR 184.1655): Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a direct human food ingredient when used as a propellant, aerating agent and gas as defined in Section 170.3 (o)(25). END QUOTE Note especially the term "aerating agent" in regards to using propane on human food. I am inclined to conclude from this that propane would not harm de little fishies in term of toxicity. As for it being absorbed into the water and "suffocating" the little water-breathers, everything I've found so far indicates that propane will not absorb or mix with water. I guess the molecules are just too light, they go to the surface and fling themselves skyward. Now as for mercaptan, the stuff they add to make the gas smell bad: http://www.matheson-trigas.com/msds/MAT14620.pdf The "water solubility rate" is 2.4%. I wish I knew what that actually meant... haven't found a definition yet. This part is interesting: QUOTE: SECTION 12 ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION ECOTOXICITY DATA: FISH TOXICITY: 500 ug/L 5 hour(s) (Mortality) Spotfin shiner (Notropis spilopterus) INVERTEBRATE TOXICITY: 50000 ug/L 48 hour(s) (Mortality) Midge (Chironomus sp) END QUOTE This page lists common composition of residential-quality gas: http://www.test-lab.com/gasone.htm Quote: Propane-Propylene grades: Commercial (i.e. residential fuel) grade liquid propane (LP) is predominantly propane &/or propylene. HD-5 Grade (special duty engine fuel) has a more tightly defined composition that is 90+% propane, 2 - 5% propylene & lower amounts of other C2-C5 alkane/alkene hydrocarbons. Ethyl Mercaptan or thiophane (tetrahydrothiophene) are typical LP odorant additives. The only reference I've found that comes close to specifying the amount of mercaptan used is this: http://www.gasco.net/Files/faq.html QUOTE Propane's distinctive odor comes from the injection of no less than 1.5 pounds of ethyl-mercaptan per 10,000 gallons of liquid propane. END QUOTE Numerous other sources say it is added at rates from 0-50 ppm. I have to leave for a busines trip tomorrow, so can't spend any more time on this for a few days, but if anyone wants to play with the numbers, there you go. I'm guessing I could get a ball park idea of toxicity by figuring how much mercaptan is in gas, factored with the absorption rate, volume of the gas flow, volume of water exposed, and the stated toxicity levels for fish. Oi, I hate math. I'll do it, but I'll not like it. :-) Mike Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. |
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