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Declorination using ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

peter5930

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It works like so:

C5H5O5CH2OH + HOCL → C5H3O5CH2OH + HCl + H2O

Ascorbic acid + Hypochlorous acid → Dehydroascorbic acid + Hydrochloric acid + water

Or like so:

C5H5O5CH2ONa + HOCL → C5H3O5CH2OH + NaCl + H2O

Sodium ascorbate + Hypochlorous acid → Dehydroascorbic acid + Sodium chloride + water

2.5 parts of ascorbic acid or 2.8 parts of sodium ascorbate are required for neutralizing 1 part chlorine. Here in the UK, tap water generally has under 0.5ppm of chlorine, so I use 1.25mg/litre of ascorbic acid. In the US, tap water can have up to 4ppm of chlorine, so you'll need up to 10mg/litre of ascorbic acid.

I found out about it a few years ago when I heard about a shower head that used vitamin C to dechlorinate the water. At first I thought it was quackery, but I looked into it and discovered that vitamin C really does dechlorinate, and it's very effective at it. It works on chloroamines as well as on free chlorine.

I've been using it for the past few years as a cheap way to quickly dechlorinate water, without the nuisance of standing it for a day in buckets or the expense of special dechlorinator products. I just shave off a bit of a vitamin C tablet with my pocket knife, or crush the tablet with a spoon and add it to the water that I'm going to use and give it a couple of minutes for the powder to dissolve.

Further reading:

Using Vitamin C to Neutralize Chlorine in Water Systems

Does anyone else use this method?
 

Molch

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huh. Does it lower your pH though?
 

peter5930

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Yes, it does. Generally not enough to matter though, if the water has at least some buffering capacity. Sodium ascorbate has less effect on the PH than ascorbic acid, but sodium ascorbate is more expensive. I just go with the bog standard 1000mg tablets of ascorbic acid that are sold 500 to a bottle for about £10.
 

Kaysie

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We discussed this in the chat and I had time to think about it. If your water is hard or well-buffered, I don't think the pH will be affected enough to bother.

I think this is fantastic!
 
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