DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DCC5172 STRUCTURE, HYDRAULICS AND WATER QUALITY LABORATORY

WATER QUALITY LABORATORY SHEET

EXPERIMENT 1: pH TEST
[(CLO1, C3), (CLO2, P4), (CLO3, A3)]

Objective:
The purpose of a pH test is to measure acidity/alkalinity of various samples.

Theory:
The pH test measures the H+ ion concentration in liquids and substances. All measured
liquids or substances are given a pH value on a scale that ranges from 0 to 14. Water (H20) contains
both H+ (hydrogen) ions and OH- (hydroxyl) ions, pure de-ionized water contains equal numbers of
H+ and OH- ions, and has a pH of 7. This makes it neutral, neither acidic nor basic. If a water
sample has more H+ than OH- ions, it is considered acidic and has a pH less than 7. If the sample
contains more OH- ions than H- ions, it is considered basic with a pH greater than 7. It is important
to understand that for every one unit change on the pH scale, there is in fact an approximately ten-
fold change in how acidic or basic the sample is.

Equipment:
1. pH Meter
2. Beaker
3. Water Sampling Equipment

Reagents:
Test reagents are as follow:
1. Distilled water.
Note: Use only high-grade distilled or deionized water. The water must contain less than
0.01 mg/L copper, and be free of chlorine, chloramines, caustic alkalinity, organic material, or acids.

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Procedure:
The water sample for the pH test should be collected away from the river bank and below the surface.
If possible, use an extension rod sampler. The sample must be measured immediately because
changes in temperature can affect the pH value. If pH must be measured later, the sample should be
placed on ice and measured as soon as possible. Procedure of using pH reading is differentiate
between the types of pH Meter.

For pH 211 Microprocessor pH Meter & HI 8424

1. Remove the electrode protective cap before taking any measurements. If the electrode has been
left dry, soak the tip in HI 70300 storage solution for a few hours or overnight to reactive it.
2. Connect the pH electrode to the BNC connector on the top of the instrument.
3. Connect the temperature probe to the RCA connector. The temperature probe can be used
independently to take temperature measurement, or in conjuction with the pH electrode to
utilize the ATC capability of the meter.
4. Turn the meter ON by pressing the ON/OFF key. The display show all the used segment for a
few seconds (or as long as the button is held), follow by the percentage indication of the
remaining battery life, and then enters normal measurement mode.

pH Measurements
1. To take a pH measurement simply submerge the electrode tip (at least 4 cm / 1½") and the
temperature probe into the sample to be tested.
2. Select the pH mode by pressing the RANGE key until the display changes to pH.
3. Stir gently and wait for the stability symbol (hourglass) to turn off. The display will show the
pH value automatically compensated for temperature.
Note:
1. In order to take accurate pH measurement, make sure that the instrument has been calibrated
before use.
2. If measurements are taken in different samples successively, it is recommended to rinse the
electrode thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination. After cleaning, it is recommended to rinse
the electrode with some of the sample to be measured.

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ORP Measurements
Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) measurements provide a qualification of the oxidizing or
reducing power of the sample tested.

1. Connect the ORP electrode (optional) to the BNC connector.

2. To enter the "mV" mode turn the instrument ON and press the RANGE key until the display
change to mV,
3. Submerge the ORP electrode tip (at least 4 cm /1½") into the sample to be tested and allow
time for the reading to stabilize (hourglass symbol turns off).
4. Measurement within the ±699.9 mV range are displayed with 0.1 mV resolution, while
outside this range the resolution is 1 mV.
Note:
1. To perform correct ORP measurement, the surface of the ORP electrode must be clean and
smooth.
2. When not in use, the tip of the electrode should be kept moist (use HI 70300 storage solution)
and safe from any mechanical stress which might cause damage to the glass/platinum junction.

Temperature Measurement
1. Turn instrument ON and press the RANGE key to select the temperature mode.
2. Make sure the temperature probe is connected to the meter.
3. Dip the temperature probe into the sample, allow the reading to stabilize
(hourglass symbol turns off) and read the temperature value.
4. Temperature measurement can be displayed in °C or °F units (see "Menu selection" for details).
Note:
1. A blinking full scale value means that the reading is out of range.
2. To freeze a reading on display while in measurement mode, press the HOLD key. The "HOLD"
tag will blink. The pH, mV and temperature vales are held, and the RANGE key can be used to
view the values. Press HOLD again to return to normal mode.
3. If enable, key presses are followed with an acoustic signal. A lower note indicates that the key is
not currently active.

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4. To save battery life, the meter is provided with an auto-off feature, which turns the instrument
off after 20 minutes of non-use. This future can be disabled by the user (see "Menu selection"
for details).

Data For The pH Test:

Sample Reading 1 Reading 2 Reading 3 Average

Extension Activity:
 Discuss in group about the data from the experiment
 Produce a mind map that shows the experiment activities for pH test

Prepared by: Verified by:

Name: Name:

Date: Date:

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