Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)
see also CEC, ESP and dispersion
SAR is a measure of the relative proportions of sodium, calcium and magnesium ions in a water or wastewater. It is defined as:
where Na, Ca, and Mg refer to the concentration of Sodium, Calcium, and Magnesium respectively.
WARNING
The concentrations must be expressed in units of milliequivalents/L
. To convert from mg/L
to milliequivalents/L
, multiply Na by 0.0435, Ca by 0.025, and Mg by 0.041.
For example, 100 mg/L of Na is the same as 4.35 milliequivalents/L of Na.
Typical domestic wastewaters have SAR's in the range 2 to 5. Because SAR is a ratio and not a measure of concentration, high- and low-salinity waters may exhibit similar SAR's.
INFO
Trench will not calculate SAR until you enter concentrations for sodium, calcium and magnesium in the appropriate locations.