Our dishwasher (a Kenmore Elite circa 2010) accumulates a lot of scale, which I have never been able to to clean effectively. I scrub the filter every few weeks, but there is so much silt in the filter & drain zone that I can't easily reach, so it immediately re-coats the filter. I'm amazed it drains at all, and that our dishes and glassware seem to come out clean! Although we do pre-wash everything that goes in.

White vinegar (and a lot of elbow grease) works best to clean the filter itself. Will it work to run the washer with white vinegar? I'm afraid that would damage the already-old gaskets. Is there a more reliable & safe approach?

Many #CambridgeMA residents and businesses blame the municipal water for ruining appliances. Hardness is around 70 ppm Ca & Mg, which I believe makes it slightly to moderately hard. (I know I should flush our hot water heater tank more often.)

#HomeRepair #appliances #WaterChemistry

🧪 The “Oversaturation Illusion” in Kryvbas Mine Waters

While modeling Kryvbas water chemistry (R + PHREEQC), I found a fundamental issue in how saturation is often evaluated.

We usually calculate calcite equilibrium from ion concentrations — fine for fresh water.
But Kryvbas mine waters are brines, where ionic strength and complexation dominate.

📉 Results from ~1000 samples (minteq.v4):
- Once salinity exceeds ~3 g/L, Ca²⁺ activity drops sharply.
- At 15–20 g/L, calcium activity coefficient is ≈ 0.35.

Meaning: more than half of the “calcium concentration” is inert — a dead load that cannot form precipitates.

This explains why traditional methods predicted oversaturation where the water was actually aggressive and dissolving rocks.

Modeling: PHREEQC + minteq.v4 (US EPA), Davis equation.

#Hydrogeochemistry #WaterChemistry #PHREEQC #Geochemistry #Groundwater
#Mining #Tailings #IonActivity #Thermodynamics #Kryvbas #OpenScience #RStats #SvystunovaGully

Freshwater acidification (Hydrology 💧)

Freshwater acidification occurs when acidic inputs enter a body of fresh water through the weathering of rocks, invasion of acidifying gas, or by the reduction of acid anions, like sulfate and nitrate within a lake, pond, or reservoir. Freshwater acidification is primarily caused by su...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshwater_acidification

#FreshwaterAcidification #Hydrology #WaterChemistry #WaterPollution #EnvironmentalScience #GreenhouseGasEmissions