Litmus "Lecanora tartarea" (Norway, Sweden), "Variolaria dealbata", "Ochrolechia parella", "Parmotrema tinctorum", and "Parmelia". Currently, the main sources are "Roccella montagnei" (Mozambique) and "Dendrographa leucophoea" (California). The main use of litmus is to test whether a solution is acidic or basic. Wet litmus paper can also be used to test for water-soluble gases that affect acidity or alkalinity; the gas dissolves in the water and the resulting solution colors the litmus paper. For instance, ammonia gas, which is alkaline, turn the red litmus paper blue. Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions and red litmus paper turns blue under basic or
Buffering agent slightly acidic. The buffer counteracts the alkalinity of soap. If either of these substances become too acidic or too alkaline, they could damage fabric, and/or skin and hair. Buffering agent A buffering agent is a weak acid or base used to maintain the acidity (pH) of a solution near a chosen value after the addition of another acid or base. That is, the function of a buffering agent is to prevent a rapid change in pH when acids or bases are added to the solution. Buffering agents have variable properties—some are more soluble than others; some are acidic while others