For unrivalled oxygen transfer and water treatment
Bubbles don’t float to surface
Unlike larger bubbles that immediately take off towards the surface and rupture, nanobubbles tend to remain in suspension. This is because of brownian motion, aka the bubbles are so small they move with no preferential direction of flow. In ideal conditions, nanobubbles can remain in your water for weeks.
Oxygenates deeper waters
Following on from above, nanobubbles have almost zero buoyancy. This means they don’t travel straight for the surface, but instead tend to follow currents and end up in deeper parts of dams, lakes and wastewater lagoons.
Longer lasting bubbles
Those nanobubbles that don’t collide and break apart when first leaving the aerator tend to stick around for longer than regular bubbles because of the structural integrity of the nanobubbles. It’s like comparing the fragility of a balloon barely blown up compared to one blown to 500 times the size. These mighty little bubbles can hang around for a long time.
Increased levels of oxidation
Nanobubbles have also been shown to release the hydroxyl radical, one of the strongest known oxidants. This can occur when the nanobubbles collapse. The radicals scour surfaces and prevent biofilm growth which not only helps clean irrigation pipes, drip lines etc, but also how much chemical you need.
Attracted to organic matter
Nanobubbles have a much stronger negative surface charge than regular bubbles. This makes them more attracted to positively charged organic matter like precipitated metals, pollutants and dangerous cyanotoxins. This is a good thing obviously because bringing oxygen to these compounds helps to render them inactive.
Suitable for
Wastewater treatment
The unique oxidising properties of nanobubbles make them ideal for commercial wastewater treatment plants looking to reduce their need for chemicals. As explained above, nanobubbles release the hydroxyl radical, one of the strongest known oxidants, when they destabilise and collapse. These hydroxyl radicals are extremely effective at removing toxic and corrosive compounds like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.
Nanobubbles also improve the flotation ability of fats, oils, greases, and floatable solids, making it easier to separate unwanted compounds from wastewater. And because nanobubbles have almost zero buoyancy and thus can travel to deeper pockets of water bodies, they are ideal for penetrating flocs of biomass that have settled at the bottom of wastewater lagoons. Encouraging more aerobic biomass, this speeds up the breakdown of toxins to improve the treatment capacity of wastewater plants.
Agriculture and Horticulture
Nanobubble aeration is also being used more and more in agriculture and horticulture to improve plant health and ultimately boost levels of harvest. By increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, plants utilising nanobubble aeration can uptake higher levels of key nutrients like calcium and potassium, and gain greater root mass. These same plants have also proven to be more robust, weathering environmental stresses like heat spells and radical shifts in atmospheric conditions.
Plus extra oxygen in the growing ecosystem means less pathogens, which reduces biofilm, algae and toxic pathogens like pythium and phytophthora. It also means a lower power bill for farmers because more efficient oxygen transfer means less oxygen is needed.
Aquaculture / Aquafarming
With oxygen transfer rates over 95%, nanobubbles are by far the most efficient way to add oxygen to water. For fisheries this means significantly less oxygen needs to be added to the water, reducing total energy costs. And with improved feed conversion ratios and better treatment of parasites and aerobic bacteria, nanobubbles can lower operational costs for fisheries too.
Nanobubbles also help to uniformly add oxygen to your water, preventing stratification of layers. This provides a more stable, oxygen-rich environment for your fish and gives them access to more of the water body, reducing mortality rates and permitting farmers to grow fish in higher densities without jeopardising quality. Nanobubble aeration can also be used for targeted, chemical-free treatments. For instance, salmon farmers are using nanobubbles to reduce sea lice in their stocks.
FAQs: Answers from Scotty Tucker
A nanobubble aerator produces microscopic bubbles in the nanometre range to oxygenate and treat water.
Because nanobubbles have a very large surface area relative to their size and extremely low buoyancy, they behave differently from conventional aeration bubbles. Rather than rapidly rising to the surface, they can remain suspended in the water column for much longer.
This allows oxygen to be transferred throughout the water and can also support processes such as nutrient circulation, organic matter breakdown and pollutant degradation. Our nanobubble aeration system can inject up to 95% pure oxygen into the water for more intensive oxygenation.
Nanobubble systems use specialised generators and diffusers to create and distribute extremely small bubbles throughout the water.
Their microscopic size gives them a very large combined surface area, providing a large interface between the oxygen and the surrounding water. Their low buoyancy also means they can remain in the water column rather than immediately rising and escaping at the surface.
The result is prolonged oxygen transfer and distribution throughout the waterbody.
The main difference is bubble size and buoyancy.
Conventional aeration produces larger bubbles that rise relatively quickly through the water. Nanobubbles are dramatically smaller and can remain suspended in the water for much longer.
This gives nanobubble technology a much larger surface area for oxygen transfer and allows oxygen to be distributed more effectively through the water column.
Under suitable conditions, nanobubbles can remain suspended in water for an extended period because of their extremely low buoyancy.
This prolonged presence is one of the key differences between nanobubbles and conventional bubbles, which rise rapidly to the surface.
The actual persistence of nanobubbles depends on the water chemistry, temperature and operating conditions, so their residence time will vary between applications.
Yes. Nanobubbles can distribute oxygen throughout the water column rather than simply delivering oxygen at the surface.
Because they have very low buoyancy, they can remain suspended and move with the water. This makes the technology particularly interesting for deeper dams, lakes, wastewater lagoons and other waterbodies where getting oxygen into lower parts of the water column is important.
It can.
Nanobubbles can interact with suspended particles in the water and carry them towards the surface, where they can be removed or separated from the water.
Improving oxygen levels can also support beneficial biological activity and the breakdown of organic matter, which can contribute to improved water quality and clarity.
The result will depend on what is causing the turbidity or suspended material in the particular waterbody.
Yes, we do. This is typically for customers close to Melbourne but we do travel for project work. We may also be able to refer you to a local installer, if we know of one in your area. Please reference this in your enquiry and we can provide an idea of the cost. We also have installation videos for those who want to go it alone.
Nanobubble aeration can help create conditions that are less favourable to some algae problems by increasing oxygen levels and disrupting anaerobic conditions.
Improved oxygenation can also support beneficial bacteria and the biological breakdown of organic material.
However, algae growth is strongly influenced by nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, sunlight and water temperature. Nanobubble aeration should therefore be considered as part of an overall water-quality strategy rather than as a standalone algae treatment.
Yes, particularly where odour is associated with low-oxygen or anaerobic conditions.
Introducing oxygen can help prevent the development of anaerobic conditions that contribute to foul odours. Nanobubble technology can maintain oxygen within the water column for longer than conventional larger bubbles.
For wastewater and other odour problems, the source of the odour should still be identified before determining the appropriate treatment.
Nanobubble aeration can help reduce thermal stratification by promoting circulation throughout the water column.
Stratification occurs when water forms layers with different temperatures and densities. By moving oxygenated water through the waterbody, aeration can help mix these layers and create more uniform conditions.
This can be particularly useful in deeper dams and lakes where stratification is a recurring problem.
Yes. Nanobubble aeration has applications in wastewater treatment because it provides high levels of oxygen to support aerobic biological processes.
The increased oxygen availability can help aerobic bacteria break down organic pollutants and can support nutrient removal and overall wastewater treatment.
Nanobubbles can also be useful where deeper oxygenation is required or where conventional aeration doesn't provide sufficient oxygen distribution throughout the lagoon.
Nanobubbles can support the biological processes involved in ammonia treatment by providing the oxygen required by aerobic bacteria.
Increased oxygen availability can improve conditions for biological treatment and nutrient removal. However, ammonia removal depends on much more than dissolved oxygen alone, including ammonia loading, temperature, wastewater chemistry and retention time.
For this reason, we assess the wastewater application and treatment objectives before determining whether nanobubble aeration is appropriate.
Nanobubbles can support the breakdown of organic pollutants by increasing oxygen availability and supporting aerobic biological activity.
Their large surface area and prolonged presence in the water can improve oxygen transfer, while nanobubble technology can also support oxidation and pollutant degradation.
The effectiveness depends on the specific pollutant and characteristics of the water being treated.
Yes. Aquaculture is one of the applications where maintaining consistent dissolved oxygen is particularly important.
Nanobubbles can provide prolonged oxygenation throughout the water column, helping create more stable conditions for fish, shrimp and other aquatic organisms.
Improved oxygen availability can support aquatic health and biological activity and may contribute to improved growth and production outcomes.
Yes. Nanobubble technology can be incorporated into agricultural irrigation systems and water-management applications.
Increasing dissolved oxygen in irrigation water can improve the oxygen environment around plant roots and support nutrient absorption. The technology may also improve water-use efficiency and support healthier growing conditions.
The appropriate system depends on the crop, irrigation setup, water quality and desired outcome.
Nanobubble systems can assist with managing biofilm and contamination within irrigation systems.
The high surface area and oxidation properties of nanobubbles can help interact with organic material and contaminants, making the technology useful in applications involving irrigation lines and water distribution systems.
The appropriate treatment depends on the cause and severity of the biofilm or blockage.
Yes. Nanobubbles can be used in environmental remediation applications because they can deliver oxygen and other treatment agents into areas where contaminants are concentrated.
Potential applications include lake restoration, industrial runoff and other contaminated water environments where improved oxygenation or pollutant degradation is required.
For remediation projects, the system should be designed around the specific contaminants, water chemistry and treatment objectives.
Yes. Nanobubble technology has applications beyond ponds and wastewater.
In industrial processes, nanobubbles can assist with chemical reactions, substance dispersion, particle flotation and contamination removal.
The technology can therefore be adapted to a range of industrial water-treatment and process applications depending on the particular requirements of the site.
Nanobubble systems can provide highly efficient oxygen transfer because of the enormous surface area created by the microscopic bubbles and their prolonged presence in the water.
This can allow oxygenation to be achieved efficiently compared with some conventional aeration approaches.
However, actual energy consumption and operating costs depend on the system size, oxygen demand, waterbody and operating conditions.
Nanobubble systems can inject up to 95% pure oxygen into the water.
This is different from simply pumping atmospheric air into the water, which contains approximately 21% oxygen. Introducing a much higher concentration of oxygen allows the system to deliver more intensive oxygenation.
The actual amount of oxygen transferred into the water depends on the system configuration and site conditions.
Not necessarily. It depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Conventional surface and sub-surface aerators are highly effective for many applications, particularly where substantial water movement, mixing or oxygenation is required.
Nanobubble technology becomes particularly interesting where you need highly efficient oxygen transfer, prolonged oxygen presence, deeper oxygenation, nutrient circulation or additional treatment benefits.
We can assess the waterbody and recommend the technology that best suits the application — which may be nanobubbles, conventional aeration or a combination of systems.
Not in every application.
A conventional surface aerator can move enormous volumes of water and provide strong mixing, while nanobubble systems are designed around very fine-scale oxygen transfer and prolonged oxygen distribution.
For some sites, nanobubbles may be the primary aeration technology. For others, combining nanobubble technology with conventional surface or sub-surface aeration may provide the required combination of oxygenation and circulation.
The correct approach depends on the waterbody and treatment objectives.
The first question is what you are trying to achieve.
If the primary requirement is high-volume mixing and circulation, a conventional aerator may be appropriate. If you need deeper oxygenation, prolonged oxygen availability or more targeted water-treatment benefits, nanobubbles may be worth considering.
We can assess the size, depth, water quality, oxygen demand and treatment objectives of your waterbody and design a system around the application.
Yes. Custom system design is a core part of what we do.
We design and build water-quality and aeration systems for dams, lakes, wastewater, aquaculture, agriculture and industrial applications.
Rather than simply selecting an off-the-shelf unit, we can design the system around the characteristics of the waterbody and the outcome you need to achieve. This can include system capacity, oxygen requirements, circulation, diffuser placement and operating conditions.
Yes. We can assist with the complete system, from initial assessment and design through to supply, installation and ongoing maintenance.
For commercial, industrial and larger water-quality projects, we can work with you to develop a system suited to the site rather than treating nanobubble aeration as a one-size-fits-all product.
