Nitrate test to 2.5 micrograms and a concentration of 1 in 25,000 parts. Devarda's alloy (Copper/Aluminium/Zinc) is a reducing agent. When reacted with nitrate in sodium hydroxide solution, ammonia is liberated. The ammonia formed may be detected by its characteristic odor, and by damp red litmus paper's turning blue, signalling that it is an alkali — very few gases other than ammonia evolved from wet chemistry are alkaline. Aluminium is the reducing agent in this reaction that will occur. Diphenylamine may be used as a wet chemical test for the presence of the nitrate ion. In this test, a solution of diphenylamine
Alkalinity + "m" + "m" + "m" - "m"". Total alkalinity is measured by adding a strong acid until all the anions listed above are converted to uncharged species. The total alkalinity is not (much) affected by temperature, pressure, or pH, though the values of individual constituents are, mostly being conversions between HCO and CO. Drever further notes that in most natural waters, all anions except HCO and CO have low concentrations. Thus carbonate alkalinity, which is equal to "m" + 2"m" is also approximately equal to the total alkalinity. Alkalinity or A measures the ability of a solution to neutralize