Carbonate Speciation
Definition
The distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon among its chemical forms: CO2, H2CO3, bicarbonate, and carbonate.
The same carbon atoms are always present, but their arrangement shifts with pH and the other levers. Carbonic acid is generally ignored or combined with dissolved CO2 because it is highly unstable and exists at extremely low relative concentrations, so the pair is treated as CO2/H2CO3. Knowing the speciation tells you whether the water sits in a corrosion zone, a buffering zone, or a scaling zone.
Related concepts
Carbonate Equilibrium · pH (Lever) · Dissolved Inorganic Carbon
How it connects
- this enables Calcium Carbonate Scaling
- Carbonate Equilibrium drives this
- pH controls chemistry drives this
- The Four Levers drives this
Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🧪 chemistry