There can be long-term changes in the alkalinity of streams and rivers in response to human disturbances such as acid rain generated by SO x and NO x emissions. It is one of the best measures of the sensitivity of the stream to acid inputs. Moreover, measuring alkalinity is important in determining a stream's ability to neutralize acidic pollution from rainfall or wastewater. Each of these measurements corresponds to an amount of acid added as a titrant.Īlthough alkalinity is primarily a term used by limnologists and oceanographers, it is also used by hydrologists to describe temporary hardness. Alkalinity is expressed in units of concentration, such as meq/L ( milliequivalents per liter), μeq/kg (microequivalents per kilogram), or mg/L CaCO 3 (milligrams per liter of calcium carbonate). It is measured by titrating the solution with an acid such as HCl until its pH changes abruptly, or it reaches a known endpoint where that happens. Alkalinity is the strength of a buffer solution composed of weak acids and their conjugate bases. It should not be confused with basicity, which is an absolute measurement on the pH scale. Sea surface alkalinity (from the GLODAP climatology).Īlkalinity (from Arabic: القلوي, romanized: al-qaly, lit.'ashes of the saltwort') is the capacity of water to resist acidification.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |