[RML] Chemical Dose

Adrian Tappin (atappin at ecn.net.au)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 06:32:29 +1000

I guess I should tell you all what I was doing:

I am trying to calculate the correct dose of a chemical that has the
following active ingredients:

Active ingredients: Formaldehyde 1031 g/l
Malachite green 19.1 g/l

Recommended dose rate on the label is 1 millilitre per 76 litres.

However the suggested scientific ppm level for effective treatment is:
Formaldehyde 25 ppm,
Malachite green 0.5 ppm.

(a) To find the delivered ppm at the manufacturers dose rate, the formula is:

ppm = Solute x % of active ingredients divide by Solution x 1,000,000

Calculation is then: (for formaldehyde)

=1 mil x 103.1% divide by 76 litres x 1,000,000
=1 x 1.031 divide by 76,000 x 1,000,000
=1.031divide by 76,000 x 1,000,000
=0.0000135 x 1,000,000
=13.5 ppm (a little over half the required dose rate)

(b) To calculate a dose rate of 25 ppm, the formula is:

Dose rate = required ppm x volume of water divide by (% of active
ingredient x 1,000,000)
=25 ppm x 76 litres divide by (103.1% x 1,000,000)
=25 x 76,000 mil divide by (1.031 x 1,000,000)
=1,900,000 divide by 1031000
=1.8428709 mil
=1.84 mil per 76 litres. (almost double the recommended rate)

I just wanted to know if I was doing the calculation correctly?

Adrian.

Adrian R. Tappin
"Home of the Rainbowfish"
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm