The PH value is a measure of the acidity of the solution. So what should the pH of drinking water be? Is the pH value of tap drinking water related to human health? Come and get the answer to pH balance of tap water that we should drink in the following content!
What Does the pH Value Mean?
Before we get into the question of what should the ph of drinking water be, we'd first figure out what the pH value means. The pH value, which describes the degree of acidity and alkalinity of the aqueous solution, is one of the most important physicochemical parameters of the aqueous solution. The PH value is expressed by 0 to 14, 0 is a strong acid, and 14 is a strong alkali. An aqueous solution with a pH value equal to 7 is neutral. When pH value is less than 7, the water is acidic; When the PH value is greater than 7, the water is alkaline.
How to Test the pH Level in Drinking Water?
So, how do we test the pH value of the drinking tap water? There are many ways to measure the pH value of a solution. Here we list out the frequently used methods:
1. Use a pH indicator to test the tap water ph.
Acid-base indicators, or pH indicators, hydrogen ion concentration indicators, are chemical reagents used to test pH. Add a pH indicator to the solution to be measured, and different indicators will change color according to different pH values. The range of pH values can be determined based on the study of the indicator. After titration, it can be used as an accurate pH standard. Since the observation of color transitions is heavily influenced by subjective judgments, it may bring some errors. Therefore, a pH meter is usually used when a more accurate pH measurement is required.
2. Use pH test papers to test the ph in drinking water.
The easiest way to determine the pH of a solution is to use a pH test paper. Commercially available PH test papers are divided into broad sample test papers and precision test papers. The usually used is a wide range of test papers, this test strip measurement range is 1-14, it can only be a rough measure of the acidity and alkalinity of water. Precision test strips can accurate the pH to one decimal place. Dip a glass rod into the test paper with a little of the solution to be measured, and then change according to the color of the test paper and control the colorimetric card to obtain the pH of the solution. The table on the right is equivalent to a colorimetric card. The pH test paper does not show the pH of the oil. Since the pH test strip is made of hydrogen iron and the pH of the solution to be measured is measured by hydrogen iron, but the oil does not contain hydrogen iron, the pH test strip cannot show the pH of the oil.
3. Use a digital pH meter to test the ph level of tap water.
A digital pH meter is an instrument used to determine the pH value of tap drinking water. The pH meter works using the principle of a primary battery, and the electromotive force between the two electrodes of the primary battery is based on Nernst's law. It is related to both the properties of the electrode itself and the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. There is a correspondence between the electromotive force of the primary battery and the hydrogen ion concentration, and the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration is the pH value. The pH meter can be accurate to two decimal places.(Click the picture,and you will get a digital pH meter now! )
What Should the pH of Drinking Water Be? | Best Recommened pH Value Level
So, as the drinking water, what should be the ph level of drinking water?
- World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water quality guidelines: there are no specific indicators. But there is an additional note: low pH has a corrosive effect; High pH affects the sense of taste, with a soapy taste; Chlorination is more effective and preferably when pH value of drinking water is less than or equal to 8.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Drinking Water Quality Standard: pH value of tap or drinking water should be 6.5 ~ 8.5. Acidic to alkaline water is allowed in this range and it is relatively broad.
- European Union (EC) drinking water quality standards: pH value of tap or drinking water should be 6.5 ~ 9.5. For bottled or bottled purified water, the minimum pH should be reduced to 4 to 5. For bottled or barreled water that is naturally rich in or artificially filled with carbon dioxide, the minimum value should be reduced to a lower value. This is more strictly constrained on low PH level, which can not be high.
- Japanese drinking water quality standards: pH value is 5.8 ~ 8.6.
Will pH Value of Tap Water Affect Our Health?
After learning the the ph value of tap or drinking water, let us move to the questions of will pH value of drinking water affect our health. Medical studies have shown that the pH in our body should be between 7.35 and 7.45. The PH value is based on 7 as the acid-base dividing line, that is, our body fluids should be weakly alkaline in order to maintain normal physiological functions and material metabolism.
However, according to a health survey in large cities with higher living standards, more than 80% of the PH value of human fluids is often at the lower end, that is, the body shows an unhealthy acidic constitution. If the body's body fluids are acidic, the role of the cell will become weaker, its metabolism will slow down, and at this time, it will have a certain impact on the function of some organs, so the time will be long, and the disease will follow.
When a person's bodily fluid pH is lower than 7, major diseases occur; When it drops to 6.9, it turns a person into a vegetative person; if it is only 6.8 to 6.7, it will cause death. Of course, most people with an acidic constitution will not be that serious. In general, the PH value in the body is still around 7.35, compared with people who are biased towards 7.45, it is only a little acidic. Even there are few diseases detected, but don't underestimate this zero or even the slight change. Because in the long run, the skin of human body will be prematurely dull and aging; Children and adolescents can cause symptoms such as stunted growth, loss of appetite, and difficulty concentrating; Middle-aged and elderly people will cause diabetes, nervous system diseases, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
So what should the ph of drinking water be? It can be seen from the above the pH value level of drinking water is 6.5-8.5, which is the best for human health needs from the long-term reaserch. If you want to know more about drinking water health solutions, focus on the updates of Simpure.
