pH meters, manual or automated, have a wide range of industrial applications from medical to industrial. Measuring the voltage of a solution is the pH meter principle and applications all involve liquids as a result. All applications have in common the need for accurate and consistent results, ideally with walk away operation so more critical laboratory tasks can be completed.
What Are the Most Common Applications of pH Meters?
- Drug development and Production: pH meters are used in the development of pharmaceutical drugs since acidity can affect drug metabolism. pH meters play a critical role in maintaining optimal conditions during various stages of drug development and production. They provide accurate measurements of acidity and alkalinity, which are vital parameters in formulating and testing pharmaceutical compounds.
- Agriculture: Soil pH is essential for nutrient availability, microbial activity and plant health. Measuring pH of the soil indicates if the pH is too high or too low which can result in poor crop yields.
- Water Quality: Measurement of pH in drinking water is essential for human health and environmental conditions. Too acidic can lead to corrosion and metal leaching from water infrastructure. Too alkaline can lead to taste issues and environment imbalances.
- Automation in Biology: Incubation of Culture Media Plates
Microorganisms constitute a broad group of lifeforms, where some strains are tolerant to wide pH ranges and others require narrow ranges. Generally, microbes prefer an optimal pH value, where changing the pH of the microbial environment reduces metabolism and viability.
Automated pH meters ensure proper microbial growth while scientists attend to more demanding tasks. Automated meters can measure the pH in 24-, 48-, and 96-well microplates and racks, which is an efficient way to keep cultures without excessively transferring between different culture vessels.
During culture it is critical to maintain the initial pH. Some microbes internally produce acids that are released as waste into the environment. Over time, these acids accumulate and decrease the culture’s pH, thus reducing growth, metabolism, and viability. Therefore, it is essential to routinely monitor the pH of the culture.
Hudson Lab Automation has a range of automated pH meters to suit your laboratory application. Discover more: https://verulamscientific.com/laboratory-ph-meters-with-automated-ph-measurement/
Interested in a demonstration? Get in touch with Verulam Scientific to see how we can assist you further.
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