pH Value of Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound used for numerous household and industrial applications. However, ammonia's usability mainly depends upon its pH value.
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen having a pungent like distinctive smell. A molecule of ammonia is formed of a negatively charged nitrogen ion and three positively charged hydrogen ions, and hence it is chemically represented as NH3. Ammonia can either occur naturally or can be manufactured. Natural ammonia which is present in trace amounts in the atmosphere comes from the decomposition of organic matter. The unnatural method of ammonia production involves a series of chemical processes that combines together nitrogen and hydrogen ions.
pH Value of Ammonia
Aquarium and ponds are the principal sources of this compound, as ammonia is a nitrogen waste released by aquatic plants and animals. In fact, it is excreted directly from the gills of fish into pond water. Hence, when ammonia is released into pond water, it either turns into an unionized ammonia (NH3) form, which is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals and plants due to its high pH value, or it gets ionized, having chemical symbol (NH4+) and low pH level and hence, is virtually non toxic to aquatic life. Therefore ammonia can either be caustic or hazardous as most ammonia benefits and side effects depend on its pH value, i.e. how acidic or basic it is.
However, ammonia serves as a building block for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Ammonia when mixed with water can be used in many household cleaning products. Also it is the most commonly used ingredient in many fertilizers as it revitalizes the soil by providing nitrogen to it. Apart from this, ammonia also acts as a precursor either directly or indirectly to many nitrogen containing compounds. But high concentrations of ammonia can be extremely dangerous when inhaled, ingested or touched. However, ammonia inhalation is usually avoidable due to its strong smell and bitter taste.
To sum up, we can say ammonia becomes increasingly more toxic in basic water. Therefore, if your pond water is basic in nature it is better to keep your ammonia level at zero in order to avoid any adverse effects on the animals and plants in the water. Well, this was all about ammonia pH level and its various effects.
Ammonia is a compound used for numerous household and industrial applications. However, ammonia's usability mainly depends upon its pH value.
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen having a pungent like distinctive smell. A molecule of ammonia is formed of a negatively charged nitrogen ion and three positively charged hydrogen ions, and hence it is chemically represented as NH3. Ammonia can either occur naturally or can be manufactured. Natural ammonia which is present in trace amounts in the atmosphere comes from the decomposition of organic matter. The unnatural method of ammonia production involves a series of chemical processes that combines together nitrogen and hydrogen ions.
pH Value of Ammonia
The
pH value or potentiometric hydrogen ion concentration of a solution is
basically the measure of how acidic or basic the solution is. The pH
value of any solution is measured in a logarithmic scale with 0.0 being
the most acidic, 14.0 being the most basic or alkaline and 7.0 being the
neutral point. Hence to know whether a solution is acidic, basic or
neutral, one has to know its pH value. When we measure the pH value of a
solution we are basically counting the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) and
hydroxyl ions (OH-) present in the sample. An increased level of
hydrogen ions means that the solution is acidic in nature while less
hydrogen ions (H+) and more hydroxyl ions (OH-) indicate that the
solution is more basic or alkaline in nature. However, if both the
hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl ion (OH-) levels are nearly same, it means
the solution is neutral. The pH of ammonia is about 11.5 which means it
is basic in nature. Ammonia has an ability to neutralize acids and when
dissolved in water it forms a positively charged ammonium (NH4+) ion and
a negatively charged hydroxide (OH-) ion.
Aquarium and ponds are the principal sources of this compound, as ammonia is a nitrogen waste released by aquatic plants and animals. In fact, it is excreted directly from the gills of fish into pond water. Hence, when ammonia is released into pond water, it either turns into an unionized ammonia (NH3) form, which is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals and plants due to its high pH value, or it gets ionized, having chemical symbol (NH4+) and low pH level and hence, is virtually non toxic to aquatic life. Therefore ammonia can either be caustic or hazardous as most ammonia benefits and side effects depend on its pH value, i.e. how acidic or basic it is.
However, ammonia serves as a building block for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Ammonia when mixed with water can be used in many household cleaning products. Also it is the most commonly used ingredient in many fertilizers as it revitalizes the soil by providing nitrogen to it. Apart from this, ammonia also acts as a precursor either directly or indirectly to many nitrogen containing compounds. But high concentrations of ammonia can be extremely dangerous when inhaled, ingested or touched. However, ammonia inhalation is usually avoidable due to its strong smell and bitter taste.
To sum up, we can say ammonia becomes increasingly more toxic in basic water. Therefore, if your pond water is basic in nature it is better to keep your ammonia level at zero in order to avoid any adverse effects on the animals and plants in the water. Well, this was all about ammonia pH level and its various effects.
No comments:
Post a Comment