LABTips: pH Probe Care and Maintenance

 LABTips: pH Probe Care and Maintenance

Accurate pH measurement is essential in a wide range of fields, including biology and pharmaceuticals, environmental and agriculture, food and beverage sciences, and more. Inaccurate pH readings can have costly consequences such as the loss of bacterial cultures, failure of chemical reactions and corrosion of equipment or infrastructure, to name a few. Therefore, ensuring that pH is measured with the utmost care and precision is crucial in any laboratory.

The most common electrodes used in modern pH measurement instruments are combination electrodes incorporating a glass bulb measuring electrode and silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode into one sensor. These electrodes have a suitable pH measurement range for most routine applications, and are favored for their relative affordability and high sensitivity when used correctly. However, these electrodes are susceptible to damage, matrix interferences and other problems that can impact the accuracy of measurements, requiring proper handling, maintenance and storage to avoid compromising performance. Here are a few tips to help you properly care for and operate your pH meter.

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