SimplyDiscus.com: Ammonia 1 by Ruth Francis-Floyd and Craig Watson

Library > Biology > Nitrogen Cycle > Ammonia 1

Page 3 of 3

Pages: 1 . 2 . 3

Table 1
Figure 2. Step-by-step guide to calculating unionized (toxic) ammonia. UIA of 0.05 mg/L may harm fish. As UIA approaches 2.0 mg/L, fish will begin to die.

Step 1 - Use a water test kit to measure ammonia. The number from the kit is the TAN (Total Ammonia Nitrogen)
Step 2 - Measure water temperature.
Step 3 - Measure water pH.
Step 4 - Find the multiplication factor in Table 1 using the water temperature and pH.
Step 5 - Multiply the TAN (step 1) and the factor from Table 1 (step 4). The answer is the Unionized Ammonia Nitrogen (UIA) in mg/L. If the number is larger than 0.05, the ammonia is harming the fish.

Table 2
Figure 3. An example of how to calculate UIA using the factors in Table 1 .

Step 1 - Assume TAN was 1.0 mg/l. (measured with test kit)
Step 2 - Water temperature was 75°F (24°C)
Step 3 - Water pH was 8.0
Step 4 - The multiplication factor from Table 1 is 0.0502 (this is where the pH in the left hand column intersects the temperature listed across the top of the chart)
Step 5 - TAN X factor from Table 1 = UIA (1.0 X 0.502)

Interpretation - The toxic ammonia present (UIA) is 0.0502 mg/l. This is at the borderline, but is high enough to cause some gill damage. If this is allowed to increase, the fish will be under considerable stress.

Table 3
Table 1. Fraction of unionized ammonia in aqueous solution at different pH values and temperatures. Calculated from data in Emmerson, et al. (1975). To calculate the amount of unlonized ammonia present, the Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) must be multiplied by the appropriate factor selected from this chart using the pH and temperature from your water sample. See the example in Figure 3 .

Temperature
42.0 (FĄ) 46.4 50.0 53.6 57.2 60.8 64.4 68.0 71.6 75.2 78.8 82.4 86.0 89.6

6 (CĄ) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

pH

7.0 .0013 .0016 .0018 .0022 .0025 .0029 .0034 .0039 .0046 .0052 .0060 .0069 .0080 .0093

7.2 .0021 .0025 .0029 .0034 .0040 .0046 .0054 .0062 .0072 .0083 .0096 .0110 .0126 .0150

7.4 .0034 .0040 .0046 .0054 .0063 .0073 .0085 .0098 .0114 .0131 .0150 .0173 .0198 .0236

7.6 .0053 .0063 .0073 .0086 .0100 .0116 .0134 .0155 .0179 .0206 .0236 .0271 .0310 .0369

7.8 .0084 .0099 .0116 .0135 .0157 .0182 .0211 .0244 .0281 .0322 .0370 .0423 .0482 .0572

8.0 .0133 .0156 .0182 .0212 .0247 .0286 .0330 .0381 .0438 .0502 .0574 .0654 .0743 .0877

8.2 .0210 .0245 .0286 .0332 .0385 .0445 .0514 .0590 .0676 .0772 .0880 .0998 .1129 .1322

8.4 .0328 .0383 .0445 .0517 .0597 .0688 .0790 .0904 .1031 .1171 .1326 .1495 .1678 .1948

8.6 .0510 .0593 .0688 .0795 .0914 .1048 .1197 .1361 .1541 .1737 .1950 .2178 .2422 .2768

8.8 .0785 .0909 .1048 .1204 .1376 .1566 .1773 .1998 .2241 .2500 .2774 .3062 .3362 .3776

9.0 .1190 .1368 .1565 .1782 .2018 .2273 .2546 .2836 .3140 .3456 .3783 .4116 .4453 .4902

9.2 .1763 .2008 .2273 .2558 .2861 .3180 .3512 .3855 .4204 .4557 .4909 .5258 .5599 .6038

9.4 .2533 .2847 .3180 .3526 .3884 .4249 .4618 .4985 .5348 .5702 .6045 .6373 .6685 .7072

9.6 .3496 .3868 .4249 .4633 .5016 .5394 .5762 .6117 .6456 .6777 .7078 .7358 .7617 .7929

9.8 .4600 .5000 .5394 .5778 .6147 .6499 .6831 .7140 .7428 .7692 .7933 .8153 .8351 .8585

10.0 .5745 .6131 .6498 .6844 .7166 .7463 .7735 .7983 .8207 .8408 .8588 8749. .8892 .9058

10.2 .6815 .7152 .7463 .7746 .8003 .8234 .8441 .8625 .8788 .8933 .9060 .9173 .9271 .9389

--------------------------------------------------------

Footnotes
1. This document is FA-16, one of a series of the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: May 1990. Revised: June 1996. Please visit the FAIRS Web site at http://hammock.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Ruth Francis-Floyd, Extension Veterenarian, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Craig Watson,Coordinator-Research Programs/Services, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

--------------------------------------------------------

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office.

Florida Cooperative Extension Service / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences / University of Florida / Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean

--------------------------------------------------------

Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.

SimplyDiscus.com gratefully thanks the Florida Cooperative Extension Service for permission to use this article. Please visit them at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/



	Advanced Search


	About Us :: Message Board :: Chat

	Library :: Photo Gallery :: Links & Resources :: Breeders & Sponsors :: Merchandise

	Website designed by: EthanCote.com		Š 2001-2004, SimplyDiscus.com. All Rights Reserved.