Hydrogen peroxide pumped into river to kill foul smell
The Environment Agency has pumped hydrogen peroxide into the River Lark to wipe out a foul smell caused by the hot weather.
Officers investigated a section of the river in Eastgate Street, Bury, after residents reported the stench of bad eggs and that the water had turned a milky grey.
After testing water samples, officers discovered the problems were not caused by pollution but by plummeting oxygen levels in the river.
This has resulted in the sulphurous-like odour and caused organic matter on the riverbed to float to the surface.
Nick Dyer, of the Environment Agency, said: "This is a natural phenomenon which occurs when oxygen levels are very low.
"Throughout the warm period the oxygen demand of organisms in the water, and particularly in the bad of the river, will have increased.
"Due to very low flows in the watercourse and the very warm weather, the re-oxygenation is limited and subsequently the river's oxygen content is not being replaced."
The lack of oxygen has killed the majority of insects that live on the river bed and there is a worry that the lethal de-oxygenated water could rush down-river in the next heavy rainfall and cause harm to fish.
To control the conditions, the Environment Agency has pumped hydrogen peroxide into the water, which will supplement the oxygen levels and reduce the smell and harm to wildlife while nature takes its course and returns the river to its former healthier state.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
