ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING WATER CHEMISTRY ALKALINITY Alkalinity is defined as the sum of all titratable bases to a pH of approximately 4.5.

It is determined experimentally from the acid required to reduce the pH of a water sample to 4.5. In most freshwater, the following contributes to the alkalinity: Bicarbonate, HCO31 Carbonate, CO32 Hydronium ion, H+ Hydroxide ion, HO1 If alkalinity is expressed as mg CaCO3 per liter g g g 100 mol 1 mol CaCO3 -1 100 mol 1 mol CaCO3 - 2 100 mol 1 mol CaCO3 Alkalinity= HCO3 + CO3 + HO-1 g g g 61 mol 2 mol HCO3-1 60 mol 1 mol CO3-2 17 mol 2 mol HO-1 g 100 mol 1 mol CaCO3 mg CaCO3 [=] H+ g L 2 mol H + 1 mol Simplifying 50 50 mg CaCO3 -1 50 - 2 50 Alkalinity= HCO3 + CO3 + HO-1 H + [=] 61 30 17 1 L

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Sample Problem A sample of water contains 200 alkalinity as mg/L of CaCO3.

mg

/L of CO32 and 100

mg

/L of HCO31 at a pH of 9.00 at 25 C. Express total

At pH = 9.00 [H + ] = 10 pH = 1 10 9 M mol H + 1 gram H + 1000 mg mg H + = 1 10 9 = 1 10 6 L L 1g 1 mol H + Similarly K 1 10 14 [HO 1 ] = W = = 1 10 5 M [ H + ] 1 10 9

mg HO 1 mol HO 1 17 gram HO 1 1000 mg = 1 10 5 = 0.17 L L 1g 1 mol HO 1
50 50 50 Alkalinity= 100 mg + 200 mg + 0.17 mg 1 10 6 L L L 61 30 17

[H + ] = 1 10 6

mg + H L

[HO 1 ] = 0.17

mg HO 1 L
3

mg L

] 510 = 415.800 mg CaCO L

ENGR. VERGEL C. BUNGAY

BS ChE MS ChE BS Chm MS Chm

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