11-27-2009, 04:37 PM
I found this information on the Utah DWR site.
Hot water (140 degrees) will kill all of the nasties, but I think that this KCL wash will be easier for me, and I think that it won't harm materials like bleach would.
Potassium chloride (KCL) solutions in concentrations of 200 ppm can be made by thoroughly mixing one teaspoon of dry KCL salt crystals in two gallons of water. KCL salt crystals are available at stores such as Home Depot and water softener suppliers. Morton Salt Company offers KCL in 40-pound bags. Do NOT use any other kind of salt or solution.
Individual divers might also use such solutions instead of hot water.
An effective mussel-killing solution — for each ballast tank — is two gallons of a 200 parts per million (ppm) solution of potassium chloride (KCL). Despite the fact that it will kill mussels, this solution is harmless to humans and to the environment. It also has extremely low corrosion characteristics and has been used in the oil well drilling industry for decades due to these characteristics A chloride concentration of 250 ppm is allowable for drinking water and the solution is below that level.
Potassium chloride salt crystals are used in water softener systems; people drink and bath in such water. Conservative estimates of potassium and chloride concentration in Lake Powell with usage as indicated above, indicate concentrations of 1 part per trillion. That is far below possible environmental
harm. In fact, KCL solution was used in Virginia to completely kill all zebra mussels in a quarry. “In dramatic contrast, other aquatic wildlife including turtles, fishes, aquatic insects, and snails continue to thrive in the quarry.”
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Hot water (140 degrees) will kill all of the nasties, but I think that this KCL wash will be easier for me, and I think that it won't harm materials like bleach would.
Potassium chloride (KCL) solutions in concentrations of 200 ppm can be made by thoroughly mixing one teaspoon of dry KCL salt crystals in two gallons of water. KCL salt crystals are available at stores such as Home Depot and water softener suppliers. Morton Salt Company offers KCL in 40-pound bags. Do NOT use any other kind of salt or solution.
Individual divers might also use such solutions instead of hot water.
An effective mussel-killing solution — for each ballast tank — is two gallons of a 200 parts per million (ppm) solution of potassium chloride (KCL). Despite the fact that it will kill mussels, this solution is harmless to humans and to the environment. It also has extremely low corrosion characteristics and has been used in the oil well drilling industry for decades due to these characteristics A chloride concentration of 250 ppm is allowable for drinking water and the solution is below that level.
Potassium chloride salt crystals are used in water softener systems; people drink and bath in such water. Conservative estimates of potassium and chloride concentration in Lake Powell with usage as indicated above, indicate concentrations of 1 part per trillion. That is far below possible environmental
harm. In fact, KCL solution was used in Virginia to completely kill all zebra mussels in a quarry. “In dramatic contrast, other aquatic wildlife including turtles, fishes, aquatic insects, and snails continue to thrive in the quarry.”
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