Alk Proportions

[LadyTang2]

I know that carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and carbonate are in equilibrium with each other in seawater. But on average, what % is bicarb, what % is carb, and what % is carbonic acid?

Even if the answer to this question is no I am still curious about the ratios: Might it be a good idea to add nabicarb and nacarb in those same proportions?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know that carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and carbonate are in equilibrium with each other in seawater. But on average, what % is bicarb, what % is carb, and what % is carbonic acid?

Even if the answer to this question is no I am still curious about the ratios: Might it be a good idea to add nabicarb and nacarb in those same proportions?

Whatever you add, it re-equilibrates in a tiny fraction of a second to the ratio determined by the pH.

Whether to add bicarbonate or carbonate will, IMO, hinge on what pH change you want (if any).

Here's a graph of the ratios as a function of pH (Figure 2):

Note that the y-axis is a log scale, so it visually minimizes the differences a lot

Ocean Acidification

What is the 'other carbon dioxide problem'? How are humans driving changes in the chemistry of the ocean, and what might this mean for marine ecosystems in the future?

www.nature.com

https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/25853439/2-626w_1_2.jpg