pH

What is It?

-pH (potential Hydroden), is defined as the negative log-base 10 of the hydrogen ion concentration: pH = - log10 [H+]

How does it affect water quality?

-The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is.

-It ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is basic.

-Each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value.

-A pH of 5 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 6 and 100 times (10 times 10) more acidic than a pH of 7.

How does it affect adults?

-A lowering of pH may corrode distribution pipes in potable water plants, releasing heavy metals into the water.

-An increase in pH may cause heightened ammonia concentrations & also release metals into the water.

How does it affect children?

-Same

What are the EPA regulations?

-pH 6.5-8.5