Energetics and Conservative Properties of Redox Systems

The redox status of an aqueous system is described by the concentrations of the oxidized and reduced species of all system components. Redox systems, generally not at equilibrium as the result of kinetically slow redox reactions, are poorly characterized by intensity factors (EH or pE) alone. Capacity factors, which reflect the total concentration of relevant species, are conservative parameters that can be meaningful guides to the redox status of aqueous systems. Oxidative capacity (OXC) is defined as a conservative quantity that incorporates a comprehensive chemical analysis of the redox couples of an aqueous system into a single descriptive parameter. OXC classifies aqueous systems in terms of well-defined geochemical and microbial parameters (e.g., oxic, sulfidic). Examples of model and actual groundwater systems are discussed to illustrate the concept. A redox titration model is another tool that is useful in describing a redox system as it approaches an equilibrium state.