Scum/Foam/White Stuff in the Canal?

twiga

Since about April 2015 there has been white foam floating down the canal beside the Salt House. It wasn't there before, and I thought it might be a spring/summer thing, but it has continued all winter.

Does anyone have an idea what this is? Before they removed the old lock gate I thought that might have something to do with it, but now it's gone nothing changed.

Just curious.

inisboffin

Ah that'd be 'Neptune's Stout'. He's reputed to have a local in the underground rivers of Galway, and he occasionally pops in from the salt waves to have a couple...:P

Or this:
"When leaves, twigs or other organic substances fall into water and begin decaying, they release compounds known as surfacants.
This interaction breaks the surface tension, which in turn allows air to more easily mix with water and creates bubbles. These bubbles congregate as natural foam.
However, not all foam is natural. Certain man-made products, including detergents, can cause foam that is similar in appearance, but may be harmful to fish and other aquatic life."

There's a certain amount of pollution upstream but it could be just a combination.

twiga

Haha, aye that would make sense right next to the Salt House.

Strangely it seems to only form right after the upstream lock.

Hoping it's not contamination of some sort, the local otter wouldn't like it.

Gadgetman496

Did they remove the lough gates a little further back for some repair work? The increased speed of the water flow might be causing it?

twiga

Hey Gadgetman496,

They are gone now for a few weeks. The old wooden ones that looked ready to burst.

The foam was there when the gates were still up though, and remains the same, so I don't think they affected it.

Gadgetman496

twiga wrote: »

Hey Gadgetman496,

They are gone now for a few weeks. The old wooden ones that looked ready to burst.

The foam was there when the gates were still up though, and remains the same, so I don't think they affected it.

I noticed that foam the other night at the bridge on the McGuire shop side and there was plenty of it there too, don't know what's causing it so.

Zzippy

It's mostly natural, and as inisboffin posted caused by natural decomposition. The turbulence upstream caused by the lock gate is enough to form the foam then. There is probably a little bit of pollution from road runoff and faulty drains but it's not significant, water quality in the city is quite good.

beardybrewer

Same applies to foam near the shore or in a hot tub. It's due to dirty water. Think of that next time some kids takes the decomposing waste from the hot tub and makes a funny beard.

muppetkiller

I'm sure the oil residue is probably from someone dumping the deep fat into the canal too.