What Lowers the pH of Water?
The equation for pH indicates the acidity or alkalinity of water and other substances by measuring the hydrogen ion concentration. Distilled water theoretically has a pH of 7, or neutral, in a scale from 0 to 14, although the actual pH tends to be lower because water absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. Lower numbers on the pH scale are more acidic and higher numbers more alkaline.
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Acidic Substances
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Adding acidic substances to water lowers the pH from alkaline or neutral. Lemon juice, for instance, has a pH of about 2.0 and hydrochloric acid close to 0.
Purpose
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Lowering the pH of water can be beneficial for certain purposes. Sulfuric acid or muriatic acid, for example, can be added to lower the pH of soil-irrigation water that is too alkaline for a particular crop.
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Commercial Products
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Commercial products are available to provide safe pH reduction for specific purposes. Phosphoric acid products are available at fish and aquarium stores to reduce the pH of aquarium water, for instance, and products can be purchased for swimming pools.
Considerations
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The pH of water can only be lowered to a certain extent before it may become too acidic for certain purposes, and it must be carefully monitored with pH test strips.
Environmental pH
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In the environment, water pH can be changed by many factors. They include minerals entering the water, organic material decomposing, and soil and fertilizer runoff.
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