Alkalinity and pH of water

Often there is mix up between ‘ alkaline’ and ‘ alkalinity’. Alkaline substances

are those that react with acids and neutralise them, while alkalinity is the
buffer capacity of the solution, i.e. the ability of the solution to resist changes
in pH when acid or base is added.
What does it mean to “resist changes in pH”?
Buffering is the result of adding a weak acid, a weak acid that doesn’t
completely dissociate, forms its conjugate base in water.
H2CO3 < = > HCO3- + H+ ----- [1]
Here carbonic acid is weak acid. It releases one proton to form bicarbonate
ion, HCO3- and that becomes its conjugate base. Thus H2CO3 / HCO3- ion
constitute a buffer system.
How does buffer work
Buffers work by neutralizing any added acid (H+ ions) or base (OH- ions) to
maintain the moderate pH. H2CO3 / HCO3- ion – called bi carbonate buffer
resist pH change when acid [H+] is added in water by reversing reaction [1]
and stopping generation of H+ ions. When OH – ions are added in water the
buffer resists pH change by offering its H+ , see reaction [1], to react with
added OH- ion. Temporary fall in H+ ion concentration is made up by speeding
up forward reaction [1] to quickly compensate H+ ions lost. Reaction [1] stays
in equilibrium.
Water pH

Water pH of is controlled by following chain of equilibrium set up carbon

dioxide in air.
CO2 + H2O < = > H2CO3 <= > HCO3 + H+
The image shows the composition of water in terms of different forms of CO2
at different pH . Blue line stands for carbonic acid, redline for bi carbonate ,
HCO3- ions and green line stands for CO3—ions. Approximately between pH 4
to 8.3 a combination of carbonic acid and bi carbonate ion exist in water and
from 8.3 to about pH 12, there are bicarbonate and CO3 - - ions coexist in
water. Between pH 8.3 and 12, water is buffered by HCO3-/CO3 - -ions.
Carbonate ion, CO3—is a conjugate base for HCO3 – ion. With respect to CO3 -
HCO3- ion acts as acid. Conjugate acid base combination HCO3 - / CO3 - -
called carbonate buffer. Therefore. it may be noted there are two buffer zones
in natural water [1] H2CO3 / HCO3- [bicarbonate buffer] pH 4-8.3 and [2] HCO3
- / CO3 – [carbonate buffer] pH 8.3-12 which control pH of water and play
critical role.

pH vs alkalinity

Through this above curve one can link composition of water in first image to
alkalinity for any desired composition of water.