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Standard Testing Procedure
Title: Estimation Of Hardness in Ref No.: AECL/Lab/STP/19/04
Effective Date: 25th November, 2019
Water Sample Supersedes Date: 24th November, 2020

Objective:

To estimate the amount of total, permanent and temporary hardness in the

collected sample of water.

Principle:

Hardness in water is due to the presence of dissolved salts of calcium and

magnesium. It is unfit for drinking, bathing, washing and it also forms scales in
boilers. Hence it is necessary to estimate the amount of hardness producing
substances present in the water sample. Once it is estimated, the amount of
chemicals required for the treatment of water can be calculated. The estimation of
hardness is based on complexometric titration. Hardness of water is determined by
titrating with a standard solution of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) which
is a complexing agent. Since EDTA is insoluble in water, the disodium salt of EDTA
is taken for this experiment. EDTA can form four or six coordination bonds with a
metal ion.

Responsibility:

Senior Chemist shall have the full accountability regarding lab testing. He is
responsible for the deployment, standard and accuracy of the test parameter along.

Reagents:

1. EDTA 2. EBT indicator 3. Ammonia buffer

Apparatus:

1. Titration unit 2. Conical flask 3. Dropper 4. Pipette 5. Beaker

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Procedure:

1. Pipette 20 ml sample into a clean conical flask.

2. Add 5 ml Ammonia Buffer.

3. Add 2 drops of EBT indicator.

4. Pour EDTA in burette and note down the initial reading.

5. Using EDTA titrate the sample until the color changes from wine red to steel
blue.

6. Note down the final reading.

7. Repeat the process to get a concordant titer value.

In case of Permanent hardness testing:

1. Take 100 ml sample in a beaker and boil it for 20 minutes.

2. Filter it.

3. Use distilled water to make up to 100 ml volume.

4. Follow the general procedure as it is stated above.

Calculation:

1 ml of 0.01 M EDTA ≡ 1 mg of CaCO3

V1 ml of EDTA ≡ V1 mg of CaCO3

Calculation of total hardness:

Volume of EDTA solution consumed = ………… ml

Volume of hard water taken = …………. ml

Volume of EDTA solution consumed ×1000

Total hardness = ppm
Volume of the hard water taken

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A House of Complete Environmental Management Solutions

Calculation of permanent hardness:

Volume of EDTA solution consumed = ………… ml

Volume of boiled water taken = …………. ml

Volume of EDTA solution consumed ×1000

Permanent Hardness = ppm
Volume of the boiled water taken

Calculation of temporary hardness:

Temporary hardness of the given sample of water = (Total hardness - Permanent

hardness) ppm

Definitions:

Total hardness is due to the presence of bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates of

calcium and magnesium ions.

Temporary hardness is due to the presence of bicarbonates of calcium and

magnesium ions. It can be easily removed by boiling.

Permanent hardness is due to the presence of chlorides and sulphates of calcium

and magnesium ions. This type of hardness cannot be removed by boiling.

Reference:

1. Laboratory Manual for Principles of General Chemistry by Jo Allan Beran.

2. Vogel’s Qualitative Inorganic Analysis.

_______________________
Prepared & Approved by
Md. Faisal Bin Mahmud
Sr. Chemist

2/12, Humayun Road (2nd Floor), Block-B, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207 Tel: +88-02-9116712-13
Mob: 01733376609-10, Fax: +88-02-9116714, Email: nukhan05@gmail.com, aecldhaka@gmail.com
WWW. Aecl-bd.org
 Adroit Environment Consultants Ltd.
A House of Complete Environmental Management Solutions

2/12, Humayun Road (2nd Floor), Block-B, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207 Tel: +88-02-9116712-13
Mob: 01733376609-10, Fax: +88-02-9116714, Email: nukhan05@gmail.com, aecldhaka@gmail.com
WWW. Aecl-bd.org