How does electrolysis affect salts in solution?

[shane2]

Not sure if this is the best sub category to ask...

I've successfully raised Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in a hydroponic nutrient solution via electrolysis using this device here...

http://www.o2grow.com/

My question is, assuming starting with pure RO or distilled water, that has only had nutrient solution later added to it, any crud that builds up on the emitter screens over time must be coming from the salts of the nutrient solution, correct?

Question then is, how significantly might I be detrimentally affecting my nutrient solution, subjecting it to electrolysis?

IOW's, how are any of the compounds in the nutrient solution, like N,P,K, etc., possibly being changed, modified, or diluted?

BTW, I'm usually running about 40 gallons of nutrient solution at between 300 and 1,000 PPM liquid fertilizer added and at a pH of around 5.8. The O2 device is on for maybe 10 minutes every hour, 4 hours day in total, 24/7.

If I'm taking some nutrients out of play, that's not a big deal, I can just run a little higher PPM concentrations, but if I'm modifying any via the electrolysis that go on to the plant roots to possibly do harm, that's what I'm trying to sort out here.

Could any of these nutrients be getting changed or modified into something unintended via the electrolysis, is the big question.

Thanks for any insights.

- Shane

 

[Bystander]

compounds in the nutrient solution, like N,P,K,

K? "No change." N? How many oxidation states ... let me think a minute ... at least half a dozen ... all more or less equivalently nutritious ... ? "No change." P? All phosphate.

 

[shane2]

Bystander, so, is your conclusion that electrolysis would likely have minimal effect degrading the nutrients into anything harmful?

- Shane

 

[Bystander]

I'll cross my fingers and nod.