Comments on: Foam in Gabriola streams http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/ Gabriola Island blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:54:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/comment-page-1/#comment-22777 Gabriolan Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:10:02 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5683#comment-22777 Another thing everybody but me already knew about, it seems. I will now become a foam-sniffer to make up for my previous ignorance. Another thing everybody but me already knew about, it seems. I will now become a foam-sniffer to make up for my previous ignorance.

]]> By: Michael Mehta http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/comment-page-1/#comment-22715 Michael Mehta Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:11:00 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5683#comment-22715 I agree with Andrea's assessment. Foam can be due to natural processes. Algae and other biological agents are leached from soil thus reducing the surface tension of the water. This is why foam forms. I agree with Andrea’s assessment. Foam can be due to natural processes. Algae and other biological agents are leached from soil thus reducing the surface tension of the water. This is why foam forms.

]]> By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/comment-page-1/#comment-22698 Gabriolan Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:48:36 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5683#comment-22698 Thanks, Cheryl and Andrea! Andrea, I'll read more about how to tell the difference between natural foam and detergent foam; I am willing to stick my hand into the stuff. Most of the foam that I see on Gabriola is bright white, and there sure is a lot of it. Thanks, Cheryl and Andrea!

Andrea, I’ll read more about how to tell the difference between natural foam and detergent foam; I am willing to stick my hand into the stuff. Most of the foam that I see on Gabriola is bright white, and there sure is a lot of it.

]]> By: Andrea http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/comment-page-1/#comment-22665 Andrea Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:43:02 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5683#comment-22665 Environmental geek to the rescue (I can think of lots worse things to be called. :) Foam on water can be either natural or pollution-related. As a natural process, mixing of air with the water can cause foaming. This is more likely to occur if there is some other substance present that breaks the surface tension of the water - natural substances that do this include oils from decomposing plants, or humic substances (brown water) from bogs and swamps. That being said, detergents and other pollutants also break surface tension and lead to foaming. (Do you know what I mean by surface tension? It's what holds up water striders and other bugs that skate around on the surface of the water.) I think you might have to get up close and personal with the foam to find out. These two web sites tell you what natural foam vs detergent foam should smell like (earthy vs. perfumed, basically), look like (brown vs white, mostly) and feel like (light vs slimy - I leave it up to you to decide if you want to stick your hand into the stuff!). www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-ead-tas-foam.pdf http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/doclake/foam.htm Good luck diagnosing your foam and I'll be interested to know what you decide it was. Environmental geek to the rescue (I can think of lots worse things to be called. :)
Foam on water can be either natural or pollution-related.
As a natural process, mixing of air with the water can cause foaming. This is more likely to occur if there is some other substance present that breaks the surface tension of the water – natural substances that do this include oils from decomposing plants, or humic substances (brown water) from bogs and swamps. That being said, detergents and other pollutants also break surface tension and lead to foaming. (Do you know what I mean by surface tension? It’s what holds up water striders and other bugs that skate around on the surface of the water.)

I think you might have to get up close and personal with the foam to find out. These two web sites tell you what natural foam vs detergent foam should smell like (earthy vs. perfumed, basically), look like (brown vs white, mostly) and feel like (light vs slimy – I leave it up to you to decide if you want to stick your hand into the stuff!).

http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-ead-tas-foam.pdf
http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/doclake/foam.htm

Good luck diagnosing your foam and I’ll be interested to know what you decide it was.

]]> By: cheryl http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/29/foam-gabriola-streams/comment-page-1/#comment-22643 cheryl Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:09:51 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5683#comment-22643 If you go to www.in.gov/idem/4561.htm then click on IDEM foam fact sheet it gives you a very good exclamation of what causes the foam. Has to do with molecules and such. If you go to http://www.in.gov/idem/4561.htm then click on IDEM foam fact sheet it gives you a very good exclamation of what causes the foam. Has to do with molecules and such.

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