Abstract
THE recent report of Maharajh and Walkley1 claims that the solubility of oxygen in water is lowered by the presence of a second gas such as nitrogen. This observation conflicts with Henry's law. They base their claim upon measured solubility data which appear to show a significant interaction between the dissolved gases (each present at concentrations less than 50 p.p.m.). The purpose of this note is to demonstrate that a thermodynamic analysis of these data yields an unreasonable value for the nonideality of the aqueous solution of dissolved gases. We therefore question the validity of their data and reiterate the applicability of Henry's law to slightly soluble gases, both pure and mixed.
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References
Maharajh, D. M., and Walkley, J., Nature, 236, 165 (1972).
Dodge, B. F., Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, 105 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1944).
Prausnitz, J. M., Molecular Thermodynamics of Fluid-Phase Equilibria, 356 (Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1969).
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MYERS, A., QUINN, J. Applicability of Henry's Law : An Analysis of the Data of Maharajh and Walkley. Nature Physical Science 239, 32 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci239032a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci239032a0
