pH meter

Principle: pH meter is an electrical device used to measure the pH of a solution. A pH meter

consists of a measuring probe, which itself is made up of two electrodes. This probe passes
electrical signals to a meter which displays the reading in pH units. The glass probe has two
electrodes because one is a glass sensor electrode and the other is a reference electrode.
Both electrodes are hollow bulbs containing a potassium chloride solution with a silver
chloride wire suspended into it. The glass sensing electrode has a bulb made up of a very
special glass coated with silica and metal salts. This glass sensing electrode measures the pH
as the concentration of hydrogen ions surrounding the tip of the thin walled glass bulb. The
reference electrode has a bulb made up of a non-conductive glass or plastic.

When one metal is brought in contact with another, a voltage difference occurs due to their
differences in electron mobility. Similar is the case with two liquids. A pH meter measures
essentially the electro-chemical potential between a known liquid inside the glass electrode
(membrane) and an unknown liquid outside. Because the thin glass bulb allows mainly the
agile and small hydrogen ions to interact with the glass, the glass electrode measures the
electro-chemical potential of hydrogen ions or the potential of hydrogen. To complete the
electrical circuit, also a reference electrode is needed.
Working: When the probe is placed in a solution to measure the pH, hydrogen ions
accumulate around the bulb and replace the metal ions from the bulb. This exchange of ions
generates some electric flow that is captured by the silver wire.
The voltage of this electric flow is measured by the pH meter by converting it into pH value
by comparing the generated voltage with the reference electrode.
Increase in acidity of the solution has a greater concentration of hydrogen ions that increases
the voltage. This increased voltage decreases the pH reading in pH meter.
In the same manner, an increase in alkalinity decreases the hydrogen ions or increases in
hydroxyl ions concentration also decrease the voltage and increase the pH value in pH meter.
The overall working principle of pH sensor and pH meter depends upon the exchange of ions
from sample solution to the inner solution (pH 7 buffer) of glass electrode through the glass
membrane. The porosity of the glass membrane decreases with the continuous use that
decreases the performance of the probe.
Application: pH Measurement is very crucial in Agriculture industry for soil evaluation. Major
crops require alkaline environment and hence pH Measurement becomes necessary.
It is also used in Food industry especially for dairy products like cheese, curds, yogurts, etc.
It becomes mandatory for chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
It becomes a significant factor in the production of detergents.

pH level monitoring is essential in water treatment plants and RO water purifiers.

Advantage:
pH Meter is inexpensive and robust.
Pocket size pH Meters are user friendly.

Readings are accurate and precise.

Disadvantages:
Temperature impacts the output readings.
pH Measurement using glass electrodes must be clean as deposition on the electrodes affects
the readings.

Nearctic: North America – Greenland: Red Deer, Red Fox, Beaver, Pronghorn Antelope

Neotropical: South America – South Mexico: Anteater, Sloth, Capybara, Capuchin monkey
African: Giraffe, Lemur, Gorilla
Oriental: Peacock, Tree Shrew
Australian: Kangaroo, Kiwi, Tasmanian Devil
Palearctic: Red deer, Red fox, Panda, Przewalski’s horse.
 Wrinkler’s Method to estimate the dissolved oxygen in water
The Winkler Method is a technique used to measure dissolved oxygen in freshwater systems.
Dissolved oxygen is used as an indicator of the health of a water body, where higher dissolved
oxygen concentrations are correlated with high productivity and little pollution. This test is
performed on-site, as delays between sample collection and testing may result in an
alteration in oxygen content.
Principle: The Winkler titration method measures the amount of dissolved oxygen in water.
In this method chemicals are added to the water samples to react with the oxygen, forming
an acid solution. The amount of neutralizing agent required to neutralize the acid with
titration indicates how much oxygen was in the original sample.

Requirements: Manganese sulphate, alkali-iodide-azide, concentrated sulfuric acid, starch

solution, Sodium thiosulfate (0.025 N), 300 ml glass stoppered bottles, pipette, burette,
conical flask.

Procedure:
1. Carefully fill a 300-mL glass Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) stoppered bottle brim-
full with sample water.
2. Immediately add 2mL of manganese sulphate to the collection bottle by inserting the
calibrated pipette just below the surface of the liquid. (If the reagent is added above
the sample surface, you will introduce oxygen into the sample.) Squeeze the pipette
slowly so no bubbles are introduced via the pipette.
3. Add 2 mL of alkali-iodide-azide reagent in the same manner.
4. Stopper the bottle with care to be sure no air is introduced. Mix the sample by
inverting several times. Check for air bubbles; discard the sample and start over if any
are seen. If oxygen is present, a brownish-orange cloud of precipitate or floc will
appear. When this floc has settled to the bottom, mix the sample by turning it upside
down several times and let it settle again.
5. Add 2 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid via a pipette held just above the surface of the
sample. Carefully stopper and invert several times to dissolve the floc. At this point,
the sample is "fixed" and can be stored for up to 8 hours if kept in a cool, dark place.
6. In a glass flask, titrate 50 mL of the sample with sodium thiosulfate to a pale straw
colour. Titrate by slowly dropping titrant solution from a calibrated pipette into the
flask and continually stirring or swirling the sample water.
7. Add of starch solution so a blue colour forms.
8. Continue slowly titrating until the sample turns clear. As this experiment reaches the
endpoint, it will take only one drop of the titrant to eliminate the blue colour. Be
especially careful that each drop is fully mixed into the sample before adding the next.
It is sometimes helpful to hold the flask up to a white sheet of paper to check for
absence of the blue colour.
9. Repeat titration another two times.
Calculation:
Dissolved Oxygen in mg/L (ppm)= Constant Burette Reading * N of Sodium Thiosulphate * 8 *1000
Volume of sample.

Here 8 is equivalent weight of Oxygen.

Oxygen saturation is temperature dependent - gas is more soluble in cold waters, hence cold
waters generally have higher dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Applications: Dissolved oxygen analysis can be used to determine:

• the health or cleanliness of a lake or stream,

• the amount and type of biomass a freshwater system can support,
• the amount of decomposition occurring in the lake or stream.

To estimate dissolved CO2 in Water

PRINCIPLE: Free CO2 in neutral water is determined by titration with Na2CO3 or NaOH to
form NaHCO3 completion of the reaction indicates the development of pink colour of
phenolphthalein indicator of the equivalent. The sample should be gently swirled during the
titration but care must be taken before and during titration to keep aeration at a minimum.
NaOH + CO2 + H2O = NaHCO3

APPARATUS: i) Measuring cylinder ii) Conical flask iii) Burette iv) Burette stand.

REAGENT: i) NaOH ii) Phenolphthalein indicator iii) Sample water.

PROCEDURE:
1. 100 ml of sample water is taken in a conical flask and 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein is
added. If the water turns to pink then there is no free CO2 in water sample.
2. If the sample remain colourless it is titrated with standard alkaline solution (NaOH or
Na2CO3). Gentle string during titration is done until pink colour persists for 30 sec.
The colour change indicates the end point of titration.
3. Take three such readings.
CALCULATION:
Free CO2 in mg/L (ppm) = Constant Burette Reading * N of NaOH * 44 * 1000
Volume of sample.