Phosphate

Phosphates

Phosphates are used in a number of everyday products, such as cola drinks to enhance flavor and tartness, antifreeze as a pH buffer, and french fries to delay darkening of the cut potatoes. They are also extensively used in detergents and cleaning fluids because of their ability to soften water and remove soil deposits. Phosphate is essential for the growth and development of plant roots, stems, flowers and seeds, and is commonly added to fertilizers. However, high concentrations of phosphates in agricultural runoff can cause environmental pollution, as a primary cause of eutrophication. Local laws govern the use of phosphates and the discharge levels into streams and waterways.

The amount of phosphate can be expressed in two different ways:

• Phosphate (PO₄^3-) also known as orthophosphate
• Phosphorous (P) also known as orthophosphate as phosphorus (PO₄-P).

Orthophosphate is a molecule with a phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, and a negative three charge. Phosphate or orthophosphate, is a measure of the amount of orthophosphate (PO₄^3-) molecules in a sample. While phosphorus or orthophosphate as phosphorus (PO₄-P), is a measure of the amount of phosphorous (P) ions in a sample. This means that when measuring phosphate, the four oxygen atoms bound to the phosphorus atom are included in the measurement. However, it is possible to easily convert between the two measurements with simple multiplication or division. To convert a result from phosphorous (P) to phosphate (PO₄^3-) you simply need to multiply by 3.06. Conversely, to convert from phosphate to phosphorus you just need to divide by 3.06. The reason this works is because the orthophosphate molecule (PO₄^3-) is approximately 3.06 times heavier than the phosphorus atom.

Hanna offers a variety of chemical based methods to measure phosphate. Available technologies include Spectrophotometer, benchtop and portable photometers, Checker HC and Chemical Test Kits.