1) A water contains 100.0 mg/L CO32- and 75.0 mg/L HCO3- at a pH of 10.

Calculate the
alkalinity exactly at 25C. Approximate the alkalinity by ignoring [OH-] and [H+].
Solution: First, convert CO32-, HCO3-, OH and H+ to mg/L as CaCO3.
The equivalent weights are
CO32- : MW = 60, f = 2, EW = 30
HCO3- : MW = 61, f = 1, EW = 61
H+: MW = 1, f = 1, EW = 1
OH-: MW = 17, f = 1, EW = 17
And the concentration of H+ and OH- is calculated as follows:
pH = 10, therefore [H+] = 10-10 M.
mg/L = (10-10 moles/L) (1g/mole) (103 mg/g) = 10-7
[OH-] = KW = 10-14 = 10-4 moles/L
[H+] 10-10
mg/L = (10-4 moles/L) (17g/mole) (103 mg/g) = 1.7
In order to convert species to mg/L as CaCO3, multiply mg/L as the species by the ratio of the
equivalent weight of CaCO3 to the species equivalent weight:
EW
mg/L as CaCO3 = (mg/L as species) ( EW3 )
species

EW of CaCO3 = 50
50
CO32- = 100. 0 (30) = 167

50
HCO3- = 75.0 (61) = 167

50
H+ = 10-7 ( 1 ) = 5 x 10-6

50
OH- = 1.7(17) = 5.0

The exact alkalinity (in mg/L) is found by

Alkalinity = 167 + 2(167) + 5.0 (5 x 10-6)
= mg/L as CaCO3
It is approximated by 167 + 2(167) = mg/L as CaCO3