Information in Table 1 was derived
from a laboratory study and the small
decreases in pH measured under controlled
laboratory conditions will probably
be undetectable under field conditions.
The ineffectiveness of sodium
bicarbonate treatment was verified in
a study of pH management in hybrid
striped bass nursery ponds in Arkansas.
In that study, sodium bicarbonate
treatments of 8, 16 and 32 mg/L had no
apparent effect on afternoon pH values.
In addition to the relatively large
amount of chemical needed to reduce
pH significantly, there is another drawback
to using sodium bicarbonate—its
inability to prevent subsequent increases
in pH. This is true for any acid.
Therefore, sodium bicarbonate is neither
an effective emergency treatment
for high pH nor a long-term solution