You are here:
Guidelines for Measuring Changes in Seawater pH and Associated Carbonate Chemistry in Coastal Environments of the Eastern United States
Citation:
Pimenta, A. AND J. Grear. Guidelines for Measuring Changes in Seawater pH and Associated Carbonate Chemistry in Coastal Environments of the Eastern United States. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-17/483, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
This report will impact water quality by improving the scientific basis of actions under the Clean Water Act. The report will accomplish this by providing information to citizen scientists, states, tribes, and existing water quality laboratories who wish to initiate or improve measurements of seawater carbonate chemistry. Since seawater carbonate chemistry in the coastal environment is strongly affected by nutrients, there is the potential for direct relationships between the Clean Water Act and the measurements described in this report.
Description:
This report begins with descriptions of the differences between coastal and ocean acidification, factors contributing to acidification on the US east coast, and basic characteristics of the seawater carbonate system and its parameters. A basic survey of available methods and challenges for collecting and analyzing samples is also included, often with multiple alternatives for each method, but specific recommendations are not provided due to the need to consider study objectives, which will vary among users, during the selection of specific methods.