Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate on Marine Life

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is a naturally occurring substance. Touted as a green alternative to harsh cleaners, this salt is commonly used as a household and personal cleaner as well as in baking and as a medicine. While it has proven safe and effective for human use, many people are unaware of its effects on marine life, such as fish. Fish have a very different reaction to this substance, some of which is useful, but in higher concentrations and exposure proves deadly.

Anesthesia

• Sodium bicarbonate, in general, affects fish in an unexpected way: as an anesthesia. A study conducted by Çukurova University in Turkey published their findings regarding the effect of sodium bicarbonate as an anesthesia on carp in the Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. They note that there are four stages of anesthesia in fish. They measured the carps' stage responses, response time and recovery time in correlation to the sodium bicarbonate concentration in the water. They discovered that if the pH of the water was slightly higher to begin with, 7.7 instead of 6.5, that the fish reached stage three or light anesthesia with lower concentrations but at a faster rate. However, recovery times were also notably longer averaging two to three times as long than at a lower pH, but higher sodium bicarbonate concentration.

Acute Exposure

• The United States Geological Survey conducted a study on the effects coal-bed natural gas production on freshwater fish in Montana and Wyoming, a major side effect of natural gas production being water with high concentrations of sodium bicarbonate. Natural gas plants drain such water into local natural waterways such as the Powder and Tongue Rivers. The study discovered that young fish, less than four days old, of the minnow family were most susceptible to acute toxicity. In fact, 50 percent of the fish died with concentrations at more than 4,000 milliliters per liter. As the fish aged, however, they were less susceptible after five weeks old, withstanding even similar or higher concentrations.

Chronic Exposure

• The United States Geological Survey also tested chronic toxicity from egg fertilization through maturity. Oddly, the tests showed a slight increase overall in egg hatching with higher concentrations of sodium bicarbonate in the water. It is important to note that this experiment conducted at only 11 to 20 percent of the acute toxicity experiment concentrations with white suckers. Of the white suckers that hatched, only 45 percent would survive to 86 days at the highest concentration tested, 1,400 milliliters per liter. The lowest concentration tested, 450 milliliters per liter, saw 72 percent of the white suckers live to 86 days.