The Detection of Ammonia - How to Do This Easily in Wastewater Treatment
Ammonia finds widespread use in the chemical industry hence it is a common industrial effluent found dissolved in wastewater.
But since it causes corrosive effects in humans, it has to be detected and filtered from wastewater at the earliest possible step.
In this article I tell you about an easy method used for the detection of ammonia in a sample.
The nessler-ammonia reaction is the most reliable method for the detection of ammonia and it is can also be used for detecting ammonia in a sample of wastewater.
The end product of this reaction is a solution that is either colored yellow or brown.
But first we need the Nessler's Reagent, which has a chemical name mercuricpotassiumiodide.
This exists in the form of solid but colorless and odorless crystals.
The reaction that creates these crystals is given below.
This reagent is water soluble and can form a dense solution or a weak acid in water.
HgI2 + 2KI -> K2HgI4 (complex) As you can can see the solid mercuricpotassiumiodide (K2HgI4 ) is formed by the reaction of Mercury Iodide (HgI2) with 2KI (Potassium Iodide).
Care must be taken as the reagent can react with traces of Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) in the sample to form Potassium Hydroxide.
The reaction is given below.
2K2HgI4 +NH4 OH -> 3KOH +..
...
It is also necessary to pre-treat the sample with 1 ml of the ZnSO4 (Zinc Sulphate) before running the tests for the detection of ammonia.
Hence this should be done before the Nesslerisation and the sample should never be subject to Nesslerisation directly.
The Zinc Sulphate should be about 10% of the solution with 0.
5 ml of Sodium Hydroxide (0.
5 ml 6 N NaOH).
The resultant precipitate contains Mg, Ca, S and Fe.
Here's the reaction.
ZnSO4 + 2NaOH -> Zn(OH)2 + Na2SO4 The resultant solution contains Na2SO4 (Sodium Sulphate).
Some of the other reactions that occur in this solution are given below.
Zn(OH)2 + Ca^++ -> Ca(OH)2 + Zn^++ and Zn(OH)2 + S -> ZnS + 2OH If the precipitates Mg and Ca are not required to be produced during the reaction then Rochelle Salt can be added to inhibit their production.
This is necessary in case the Nessler Reagent is in an alkaline solution.
But since it causes corrosive effects in humans, it has to be detected and filtered from wastewater at the earliest possible step.
In this article I tell you about an easy method used for the detection of ammonia in a sample.
The nessler-ammonia reaction is the most reliable method for the detection of ammonia and it is can also be used for detecting ammonia in a sample of wastewater.
The end product of this reaction is a solution that is either colored yellow or brown.
But first we need the Nessler's Reagent, which has a chemical name mercuricpotassiumiodide.
This exists in the form of solid but colorless and odorless crystals.
The reaction that creates these crystals is given below.
This reagent is water soluble and can form a dense solution or a weak acid in water.
HgI2 + 2KI -> K2HgI4 (complex) As you can can see the solid mercuricpotassiumiodide (K2HgI4 ) is formed by the reaction of Mercury Iodide (HgI2) with 2KI (Potassium Iodide).
Care must be taken as the reagent can react with traces of Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) in the sample to form Potassium Hydroxide.
The reaction is given below.
2K2HgI4 +NH4 OH -> 3KOH +..
...
It is also necessary to pre-treat the sample with 1 ml of the ZnSO4 (Zinc Sulphate) before running the tests for the detection of ammonia.
Hence this should be done before the Nesslerisation and the sample should never be subject to Nesslerisation directly.
The Zinc Sulphate should be about 10% of the solution with 0.
5 ml of Sodium Hydroxide (0.
5 ml 6 N NaOH).
The resultant precipitate contains Mg, Ca, S and Fe.
Here's the reaction.
ZnSO4 + 2NaOH -> Zn(OH)2 + Na2SO4 The resultant solution contains Na2SO4 (Sodium Sulphate).
Some of the other reactions that occur in this solution are given below.
Zn(OH)2 + Ca^++ -> Ca(OH)2 + Zn^++ and Zn(OH)2 + S -> ZnS + 2OH If the precipitates Mg and Ca are not required to be produced during the reaction then Rochelle Salt can be added to inhibit their production.
This is necessary in case the Nessler Reagent is in an alkaline solution.
