Air Stripping vs. Aeration

Aeration is the process of dissolving oxygen in water and reacting the dissolved oxygen with a contaminant such as iron or hydrogen sulfide.

Air stripping is the process of contacting contaminated water with clean air so that the volatile contaminants will evaporate from the water to the air.

In aeration processes, a small amount of air stripping occurs—usually not enough to be significant. In air stripping processes, the water becomes saturated with oxygen and provides a significant amount of aeration.

Air stripping is not a cost-effective way of providing aeration alone. Likewise, aeration is a very inefficient way to remove volatile contaminants.

When applied correctly, air strippers and aeration are two very effective and powerful processes.

Note: The information above is from a 1998 article in Water Technology Magazine.