Calcium water hardness

Several operations may be employed to treat water prior to use. Aeration is used to drive off odorous gases, such as H2S, and to oxidize soluble Fe2+ and Mn2+ ions to insoluble forms. Lime is added to remove dissolved calcium (water hardness). A12(S04)3 forms a sticky precipitate of Al(OH)3, which causes very tine particles to settle. Various filtration and settling processes are employed to treat water. Chlorine, Cl2, is added to kill bacteria. Formation of undesirable byproducts of water chlorination may be avoided by disinfection with chlorine dioxide, C102, or ozone, 03. 

This produces sufficient concentrations of magnesium and calcium ions to render the water hard. The above reaction is readily reversed by boiling the water when the magnesium and calcium ions responsible for the hardness are removed as the insoluble carbonate. 

Calcium ion enters the system not ordy in the form of water hardness but also in the form of calcium salts contained in the sod. Other heavy-metal ions such as aluminum and ferric iron may also be present in the sod, and must be removed by an appropriate budder to achieve good sod removal. Effective budders for cotton washing are those for which the calcium dissociation constant, expressed as or —logif -, is >4 and preferably >7 (33). 

LSI (Langelier Saturation Index) an indication of the corrosive (negative) or scale-forming (positive) tendencies of the water. Hardness the total dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in water. Compounds of these two elements are responsible for most scale deposits. Units are mg/l as CaCOs. 

LAS is moderately sensitive to water hardness such that at certain concentration levels governed by the solubility product (Ksp) and the CMC, Ca(LAS)2 will precipitate out of solution [26]. The precipitation boundary diagram provides a useful method to study the interaction of LAS with calcium ions. From this diagram, approximate values of the CMC and Ksp for LAS and Ca2+ can be approximated [27]. 

The foamabilities of C14 and C18 AOS were very small in 54, 180, and 360 ppm calcium carbonate water hardness. Enhanced foamability was observed with C16 AOS in 180 and 360 ppm water hardness. 

Therefore, for the treatment of soft or aggressive waters, the use of C02 in combination with lime or calcium hydroxide is advisable to increase water hardness. This process is called remineralisation and is meaningful in water treatment plants, because soft water is indigestible. 

The electrolyte effect for the adsorption of anionic surfactants which leads to an enhancement of soil removal is valid only for low water hardness, i.e. low concentrations of calcium ions. High concentrations of calcium ions can lead to a precipitation of calcium surfactant salts and reduce the concentration of active molecules. Therefore, for many anionic surfactants the washing performance decreases with lower temperatures in the presence of calcium ions. This effect can be compensated by the addition of complexing agents or ion exchangers. 

Lead is toxic to all phyla of aquatic biota, but its toxic action is modified by species and physiological state, and by physical and chemical variables. Wong et al. (1978) stated that only soluble waterborne lead is toxic to aquatic biota, and that free cationic forms are more toxic than complexed forms. The biocidal properties of soluble lead are also modified significantly by water hardness as hardness increases, lead becomes less bioavailable because of precipitation increases (NRCC 1973). In salmonids, for example, the toxicity and fate of lead are influenced by the calcium status of the organism, and this relationship may account for the reduced effects of lead in hard or estuarine waters. In coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), an increase in waterborne or dietary calcium reduced uptake and retention of lead in skin and skeleton (Varanasi and Gmur 1978). 

Abernathy and Cumbie 1977). Mercury concentrations greater than 0.5 mg/kg (but less than l.Omg/kg) FW have been reported in trout from several wilderness lakes in northern Maine (Akielaszak and Haines 1981) and from the Adirondacks region of New York (Sloan and Schofield 1983) these values are considerably higher than might be expected for fish inhabiting remote lakes. These elevated concentrations were usually associated with lakes of low pH, low calcium, low dissolved organic carbon concentrations, and low water hardness and alkalinity. 

Elevated whole-body calcium content after 48 h LC50 (48 h) range for water hardnesses between 6 and 309 mg CaC03/L, or between 4.2 and 13.6°/oo salinity LC100 (96 h)... 

A very important ligand (or chelating agent) for titrimetric analysis is the ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) ligand. It is especially useful in reacting with calcium and magnesium ions in hard water such that water hardness can be determined. The next section is devoted to this subject. 

EDTA titrations are routinely used to determine water hardness in a laboratory. Raw well water samples can have a significant quantity of dissolved minerals that contribute to a variety of problems associated with the use of such water. These minerals consist chiefly of calcium and magnesium carbonates, sulfates, etc. The problems that arise are mostly a result of heating or boiling the water over a period of time such that the water is evaporated, and the calcium and magnesium salts become concentrated and precipitate in the form of a scale on the walls of the container, hence the term hardness. This kind of problem is evident in boilers, domestic and commercial water heaters, humidifiers, tea kettles, and the like. 

Builders (LD, ADW, HC) Enhance cleaning efficiency of surfactant by reducing water hardness Calcium binding capacity Soil dispersibility Alkalinity Bleach stabilization and anticorrosion capability Zeolite Citrate Polycarboxylate Carbonate Sodium silicates 20-30% 0-4% 0- 5% 5-30% 1- 20%... 

Multimedia filters, which consist of a top layer of coarse and low density anthracite, layers of silica, and then dense finest medium vitreous silicate, remove about 98% of particulates >20 tm. These filters are regularly back-washed to avoid buildup of particulates. Finer filters (S-lO tm) are used to remove suspended matter and colloidal materials. To prevent scaling due to water hardness, sodium ions generated from brine are exchanged with calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Activated carbon or metabisulfite is used to remove chlorine. 

English degree chem A unit of water hardness, equal to 1 part calcium carbonate to 70,000 parts water equivalent to 1 grain of calcium carbonate per gallon of water. Also known as Clark degree, ir -glish di.gre ... 

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