Tag Archives for " acidity "
Low pH in Water: Its Effects, How to Test for It, and How to Treat It
From the U.S. EPA website:
The pH scale measures the logarithmic concentration of hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions, which make up water (H+ + OH- = H2O). When both types of ions are in equal concentration, the pH is 7.0 or neutral. Below 7.0, the water is acidic (there are more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions). When the pH is above 7.0, the water is alkaline, or basic (there are more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions). Since the scale is logarithmic, a drop in the pH by 1.0 unit is equivalent to a 10-fold increase in acidity. So, a water sample with a pH of 5.0 is 10 times as acidic as one with a pH of 6.0, and pH 4.0 is 100 times as acidic as pH 6.0.
Testing for and Treating Copper
Copper occurs most commonly in drinking water due to corrosion of copper pipes. Such corrosion can have many causes, but is usually a symptom of overly acidic water or high TDS, chlorine, or oxygen content.
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