Workers Treat Algal Bloom in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with Hydrogen Peroxide
The National Park Service treated green water in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with hydrogen peroxide on Tuesday. The treatment followed a renovation completed ahead of the United States Semiquincentennial.
Usa TodayWorkers poured gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday morning to treat an algal bloom that appeared days after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Videos posted online showed workers emptying gallon jugs of the chemical along the edge of the 2,028-foot pool, with several boxes lined along part of the walkway as the liquid was dispensed.
The Department of the Interior said on June 15 it was deploying nanobubbler technology to destroy the algae and confirmed it would use hydrogen peroxide as part of the treatment.
The agency described the chemical as milder than chlorine and stated there are no harmful side effects to marine life or the environment. The National Park Service is combining the hydrogen peroxide with an advanced filtration system that deploys ozone-injected nanobubbles.
The nanobubble technology has been tested and validated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Ohio State University, and The University of Florida.
The hydrogen peroxide used is Harris 12 percent, a concentrated formula. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has deemed the chemical hazardous and states it can cause skin burns and eye damage if touched and mouth and throat irritation if swallowed. The renovation cost $2 million according to the New York Times.
Work included repainting the base of the pool American flag blue and mending leaking joints. The no-bid contract was awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia firm that received a 20 percent profit margin on the project. President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the renovation used highly sophisticated material, industrial strength, that could last for 100 years.
He added that the material is thick, strong, flexible, and has a natural, beautiful color, the dark blue of the American Flag. A Department of the Interior spokesperson told The Hill last month that the contract price reflects the effort necessary to complete the project ahead of Independence Day celebrations for America’s 250th birthday.
