PH Ranges and WATER

It is not very common to hear people talk about the pH of water. However, pH ranges and water have very significant health issues. Thus, measuring the pH of water is very important. The good thing is that the pH of water does not change that rapidly and yearly or twice-yearly tests are acceptable. The pH of water determines whether it is fit for human consumption or for habitation by creatures that live in water such as fish.  

In addition, varying pH ranges and water pollution may be an indicator of possible changes in not only its suitability for human consumption but also for other domestic and industrial chores. 

PH is a measure of how acidic (more hydrogen ions present) or basic (more hydroxyl ions present) water is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.  

The lower the scale, the more acidic is the water, and the higher the pH, the more alkaline is the water. 7 it taken to indicate neutrality. Because foreign particles and chemicals cause changes in pH, then it is very important to keep testing the pH of water to ensure that it is fit for consumption and habitation. 

Importance of pH ranges and water safety 

Unfortunately, what many people do not know is that the pH scales are presented logarithmically. This means that for example a change in the scale from 7 to 6, represent a tenfold increase in the acidity levels.  

Such a change could have very disastrous effects on human health as well as the environment as plants and animals depending on the water will also be affected. The pH affects the solubility of chemical constituents such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and cadmium. In addition, it indicates the biological availability of these chemical constituents and the toxicity of heavy metals. When the pH is high, heavy metals tend to be more soluble and thus increasing their toxicity. The pH levels of important chemical constituents will also determine their availability requiring the reduction or increment of the use of fertilizers to restore the balance.  

For humans, it also becomes more complicated because water toxicity affects the health of the population and industrialization. For instance, normal rainfall has a pH of 5.6 because of the presence of carbon dioxide in the air.  

Thus, increasing carbon dioxide emissions means that we are increasing the toxicity of water. This in return has negative effects such as acid rain that is very corrosive and also leads to the death of adult fish, and destruction of crops especially vegetables.  

Additionally, acidic water corrodes water pipes meaning that we need expensive repairs every now and then without forgetting that we absolve these metals when we drink the water. On the other hand, very high pH levels are also a health and industrial concern.  

Highly basic water has a bitter taste and reduces the effectiveness of chlorine as a disinfectant. It also leads to encrusting of deposits on water pipes.  

Conclusion 

Having water that is close to neutral levels is very important. Neutral water reduces the harmful effects of acidic or basic water and not only support natural habitats, but also helps to maintain the ecosystem.