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SueKrueger YaBB Newbies Offline I love Water and Wastewater.com Posts: 1 Company or Organization: Village of Mundelein, IL	Used pH Feb 06^th, 2012, 2:05pm Has anyone ever heard the term "used pH"? We're getting a discharge from an industry with a pH of 11.9. The discharger says its not harmful because its used pH, and proceeded to stick his hand in the discharge to show it didn't burn his skin. I would think a pH of 11.9 is what it is. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
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DrHenry God Member Offline Ride, boldly ride, The shade replied... Posts: 790 Raleigh, NC Company or Organization: CESTAB (see bio)	Re: Used pH Reply #1 - Feb 6^th, 2012, 4:54pm That's a new one. Ask them to supply you a literature or regulation reference. They may just be using the wrong term. Now if they drank it !!! (lol)
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David S. Senior Member Offline I have nothing clever to say here. Posts: 373 Gender: Company or Organization: Environmental Express	Re: Used pH Reply #2 - Feb 6^th, 2012, 4:55pm Sure the pH is "used", it is used to to determine how caustic or acidic the waste is. Just because it didn't melt the skin off his hand doesn't mean it isn't a pH of 11.9. Probably what he means is that the normality is very low. But it is still 11.9. Charge him or make him adjust as appropriate.
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Royer

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Re: Used pH
Reply #3 - Feb 7^th, 2012, 3:20pm

I would be more interested in the buffering capacity of the waste. The higher the buffering capacity means the more pH effect the industry stream will have on the wastewater to be treated.

Organisms at the WWTP would not like the 11 pH thus hopefully the pH of the wastewater to be treated would not be increased too much that the organisms are inhibited.

One problem will high pH waste is that ammonia would be un-ionized (NH3 molecule) and toxic to organisms or maybe released into the atmosphere.

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A4YB

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Re: Used pH
Reply #4 - Jul 9^th, 2012, 7:32am

Royer wrote on Feb 7^th, 2012, 3:20pm:

I would be more interested in the buffering capacity of the waste.

I think this is what the 'wastewater supplier' means, that his wastewater doesnt have alot of buffering capacity, so that with minimal acid adition you can turn the pH your way, or that by adding it to other waste streams that the pH wouldnt skyrocket to alkaline.

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