Rio de Janeiro City Hall begins testing new technology to clean the waters of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

Three aerators will operate 24 hours a day and will be monitored every 15 days to track the results on the lake's animal life. -Photo: André Santos/ Rio City Hall

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Municipal Department of the Environment, has begun testing a new technology to clean the waters of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, in the city's South Zone, and put an end to the fish deaths in the area once and for all. The initiative is part of a task force set up by the Rio City Hall at the end of last year to revitalize the Lagoon, which included renovation work on the seven decks over the water and the restoration of the restinga vegetation on its banks.

Now, the testing phase of the equipment used to clean the water has begun. The technology chosen was high-performance aerators that capture air from the atmosphere and introduce dissolved oxygen into the water, improving the living conditions of the fish and oxidizing the organic matter present in the water. The testing phase began on October 1st in the area of ​​the Lagoon near the Piraquê Club.

– We are initially installing three aerators here in the Lagoon. The tests will be monitored and every fifteen days we will conduct laboratory tests to see how the waters of the Lagoon are reacting. We expect to expand the tests to other areas of the Lagoon, explained the Municipal Secretary of the Environment Bernardo Egas, during a visit to the Lagoon.

Each of the aerators used in the Lagoon has the capacity to process 85 liters of water per hour. With this, the expectation is to increase the oxygenation of the water, within a radius of up to 400 meters from the aerators, by up to 3 to 4 milligrams per liter. To get an idea of ​​what this means, suffice it to say that in water with 0,2 milligrams of oxygen per liter, fish begin to die from lack of air.

The solution to oxygenate the waters of the Lagoon is the last stage of the revitalization plan for Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, which began at the end of last year. All of the Lagoon's decks have been completely renovated and returned to residents, and the restinga vegetation on the banks has been completely restored. In addition, the renovation of the Catacumba Municipal Natural Park is underway, with the restoration of 33 large sculptures that are on display in the open air there. The landscaping has been revitalized, and the park will gain a gym for senior citizens, as well as toys for children.