Softening Hard Water

Temporary Hard water contains Calcium Bicarbonate

Hard water- water that contains salts of calcium and magnesium principally as bicarbonates, chlorides,
and sulfates. Ferrous iron may also be present; oxidized to the ferric form, it appears as a reddish brown
stain on washed fabrics and enameled surfaces.

 Water hardness that is caused by calcium bicarbonate is known as temporary,

because boiling converts the bicarbonate to the insoluble carbonate; hardness from the other
salts is called permanent.

Water is softened on a small scale by the addition of ammonia, borax, or trisodium

phosphate, together with sodium carbonate (washing soda). The latter precipitates the calcium
as carbonate and the magnesium as hydroxide.

Water is softened on a large scale by the addition of just enough lime to precipitate the
calcium as carbonate and the magnesium as hydroxide, whereupon sodium carbonate is added
to remove the remaining calcium salts.

 BY Ion-exchange resin method

Conventional water-softening appliances intended for household use depend on an ion-
exchange resin in which "hardness ions"—mainly Ca2+ and Mg2+—are exchanged
for sodium ions.[6] As described by NSF/ANSI Standard 44,[7] ion-exchange devices reduce the
hardness by replacing magnesium and calcium (Mg2+ and Ca2+) with sodium or potassium ions
(Na+ and K+)."
Ion exchange resins are organic polymers (contain carbon
atoms) containing anionic functional groups to which the divalent cations (Ca2+) bind more
strongly than monovalent cations (Na+). Inorganic materials called zeolites also exhibit ion-
exchange properties. These minerals are widely used in laundry detergents. Resins are also
available to remove the carbonate, bicarbonate, and sulfate ions that are absorbed and
hydroxide ions that are released from the resin.
When all the available Na+ ions have been replaced with calcium or magnesium ions,
the resin must be recharged by eluting the Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions using a solution of sodium
chloride or sodium hydroxide, depending on the type of resin used.

Major Aquatic Chemical Processes

 Hydrolysis
is a chemical process in which a molecule of water is added to a substance. Sometimes
this addition causes both substance and water molecule to split into two parts. In such
reactions, one fragment of the target molecule (or parent molecule) gains a hydrogen ion. It
breaks a chemical bond in the compound.
 Catalysis
 Bacteria as Catalyst.
Fungi and bacteria on land convert the dead biomass into inorganic material and
degradation resistant organic species like Fulvic acids.

 Oxidation- Reduction

is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of atoms are changed. Redox
reactions are characterized by the transfer of electrons between chemical species, most often
with one species (the reducing agent) undergoing oxidation (losing electrons) while another
species (the oxidizing agent) undergoes reduction (gains electrons)

Involves the transfer of electrons between chemical species.

The relative oxidation-reduction tendencies of chemical system depend upon the activity of the electron
(e-)

When the electron activity is relatively High, chemical species tend to accept electrons and are reduced.

When the electron activity is relatively Low, the medium is Oxidizing, chemical species such as Water
(H2O) may be oxidized, losing electrons.

The relative tendency toward oxidation or reduction is based upon the:

Electrode Potential- the potential of a cell consisting of the electrode in question acting as a cathode and
the standard hydrogen electrode acting as an anode. Reduction always takes place at the cathode, and
oxidation at the anode.

Relatively more positive in Oxidizing medium; negative in reducing medium.

Electron activity in water varies over many order of magnitude, so, Redox Potential Is used to discuss
the oxidizing and reducing tendencies of water.

pE or Redox Potential (also known as oxidation / reduction potential, ORP, pe, ε, or ) is a measure of the
tendency of a chemical specie to acquire electrons from or lose electrons to an electrode and thereby be
reduced or oxidized, respectively.

ORP can reflect the antimicrobial potential of the water.

ORP is a measure of the cleanliness of the water & its ability to break down contaminants

Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) measures the ability of a lake or river to cleanse itself or

break down waste products, such as contaminants and dead plants and animals. When the ORP
value is high, there is lots of oxygen present in the water. This means that bacteria that

decompose dead tissue and contaminants can work more efficiently. In general, the higher the

ORP value, the healthier the lake or river is

ORP depends on the amount of dissolved oxygen that is in the water, as well as the amount of

other elements that function similarly to oxygen. Though not technically correct, oxygen and

other elements that contribute to high ORP effectively help ‘eat’ things that we don’t want in the

water – such as contaminants and dead tissues. When ORP is low, dissolved oxygen is low,

Toxicity of certain metals and contaminants can increase, and there is lots of dead and decaying material
in the water that cannotbe killed or decomposed