How will treated water with a low ph value affect patient's treatments and how low is too low. My city water is at 7.9 and my treated water coming out of the RO is at 6.5. This is per water analysis results. What can be done to correct low ph. thank you in advance to everyone for their comments.
Posts: 127 | Location: Texas | Registered: 24 January 2001
The product water from a reverse osmosis system is normally lower in pH than the feed water due to the preferential passage of carbon dioxide through the membrane. The pH of this product water is not of concern for preparing dialysate. RO product water is low in TDS and is not much of a buffer. It is the pH and conductivity of the dialysate after the sodium bicarbonate and acid concentrates have been added that must be controlled. The pH of the purified water is incomsequential.
Posts: 62 | Location: Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 | Registered: 02 March 2000
Oh good. I like this subject. Please always remember it is small p and capital H. That is because it means, "potential of the Hydrogen ion". Cool Huh! As water is purified (cleared of dissolved substances), the buffer for the Hydrogen ion is reduced. As water is processed the pH can be elevated by the carbon if it is not acid-washed and not processed properly prior to use. A slight elevation is also normal after ion exchange softening.
RO water has lost the Caustic (NaOH) factor and is normally lower. When RO water is allowed to contact air, Carbon Dioxide (which can freely move through the membrane when present) is injested and the result (CO2 + H2O) is H2CO3 or Carbonic Acid. DI water is even worse and the only way to analyse DI water for pH is with an inline probe.
Bicarb has a high pH and when it's gets to high I have seen it chaulk up a machine. At U of L in Louisville they had to inject CO2 in the jugs to control the chaulking, or so I was told.
Anyway, you don't have a problem or rather your water doesn't. Don't want you to think that I totally analysed you.
