Document No. VIT/EEL/Chlr/Rev 01 w.e.f.

(04/07/2014)

REG. NO.-16BCL0166
Exp. No.: 08 Date:14-08-17

Determination of Chlorides
1. Aim
To determine the chloride concentration of a given water sample as per IS3025:21(1983:
Reaffirmed 2002).
2. Basic Concept
Chlorides occur in all natural waters in widely varying concentrations. Chlorides are
usually present in water as compounds of Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium. Chlorides in
reasonable concentrations are not harmful. At concentrations above 250 mg/L, it give a
salty taste to water. For this reason, chlorides are generally limited to 250 mg/L for
potable waster. Water usually high in chloride concentration indicates pollution from
domestic sewage or industrial sewage.
The Mohr’s method or Argentometric method for the determination of chloride in water
is based upon the fact that in solution containing chloride and chromate, silver reacts with
all the chloride and precipitates before the reaction with chromate begins. The appearance
of the brick-red color of the silver chromate precipitate is the end-point of the titration.

3. Interferences
a) Bromide, iodide and cyanide interfere the result,
b) Sulphite, thiosulphate and sulphide ions interfere but can be removed by treatment
with hydrogen peroxide. Orthophosphates in excess of 25 mg/l interfere.
c) Iron in excess of 10 mg/l interferes by masking the end point.

4. Apparatus
Burette, Pipette, Conical flask and Measuring Cylinders.

5. Reagents
a) Potassium chromate indicator solution
b) Standard silver nitrate titrant, 0.0141 N
c) Standard sodium chloride, 0.015 N

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 Document No. VIT/EEL/Chlr/Rev 01 w.e.f. (04/07/2014)

6. Procedure
a) Take 20 mL of the sample in a conical flask
b) Fill burette with silver nitrate titrant.
c) Add 2 to 3 drops of the potassium chromate indicator to the sample.
d) Titrate the blank with standard AgNO3. The end point is the change of colour from
yellow to brick-red (B)
e) Titrate the sample in the same way to the same brick-red color (use blank titration as
reference colour and be consistent in end-point recognition.)(A)
f) Calculate ppm Cl- and record with one decimal.

7. Observation and Calculation

Table1. Volume of AgNO3 consumed for Chlorides estimation

Sl. Volume of sample taken (mL) Burette Reading Volume of AgNO3

consumed (mL)
No. Initial Final

1 20 34 42.8 8.8

8. Calculations
ppm Cl- = mL AgNO3 consumed for sample x N AgNO3 x 35450 / mL of sample
= 8.8 x 0.0141 x 35450/20
= 219.93 mg/L

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 Document No. VIT/EEL/Chlr/Rev 01 w.e.f. (04/07/2014)

9. Result & Inference

The amount of chlorides present in the given sample = 219.93 mg/L
The concentrations of chloride ions mostly results in an unpleasant salty taste of water
and it also aids the corrosion of plumbing system. An increase in the normal chloride
content of your water may indicate possible pollution from human sewage ,animal
manure or industrial wastes. That is why it is important to compute chloride content

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