Why Does pH Measurement Matter for the Environment?

As a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, pH is a very important tool for assessing its physical characteristics. It’s especially crucial in industrial settings, where incorrect pH readings could lead to erosion or discolouration of equipment and damage to the overall infrastructure of a plant. As such, using the latest technological tools (such as going digital to achieve improved pH measurement performance) is vital to ensuring a facility runs smoothly.

But while the necessity of pH measurement is somewhat obvious in an industrial setting, its relevance to environmental matters might be not quite so clear. However, if effluents from industry are allowed to infiltrate natural bodies of water or soils, they can have a hugely detrimental impact on the plants and animals which live in those ecosystems. Read on to find out more information about exactly how pH affects organisms and the habitats they live in.

What is pH?

Put simply, pH is a measurement of a substance’s acidic levels. Running from a scale of 0 to 14, 7 is deemed to be neutral, while anything below that is acidic and anything above it alkali. The name pH comes from the “power of hydrogen”, since the pH rating that a substance is given will depend upon the concentration of hydrogen ions in that substance. The more hydrogen ions, the lower the pH levels – and vice versa.

Why does pH matter for soil?

Soil quality is hugely important for cultivating the crops which we depend upon for our sustenance. While the use of sophisticated technology to detect the presence of contaminants like PAHs and PCBs is necessary when it comes to ensuring that an agricultural yield will do well, determining its pH level can also be crucial to the success or failure or a particular crop.

That’s because certain plants thrive better in alkali soil, while others do better in acidic soil. For that reason, farmers deploy fertilisers and other additives to tweak the pH levels of their soil and optimise the growth of their produce. Similar principles are in play in the natural world, as well, where an imbalance in pH levels (due to industrial effluent, agricultural run-off or other means) can limit the growth of some plant life and encourage that of others.

Why does pH matter for water?

Meanwhile, pH is perhaps even more important when it comes to our bodies of water. These ecosystems are in a constant state of flux when it comes to pH, since photosynthesis increases pH levels, while respiration and decomposition reduce them. Acid rain, manmade pollution or a host of other factors can alter this delicate balance in an aquatic environment, which can be devastating for the organisms which call it home.

For example, the majority of marine or river animals prefer a pH somewhere between 6.5 and 9.0. While there are certain species which can withstand extremes beyond those parameters, it’s likely that straying outside that window will result in reduced birthing, hatching and survival rates, thus endangering species in a given area. As such, rigorous control of pH levels is absolutely crucial to a healthy and sustainable environment.