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Revision as of 03:03, 24 November 2006 by 71.231.79.102 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Coral Calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Because living coral reefs are endangered and cannot be harvested without significant damage to the ecosystem, coral calcium is harvested by grinding up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a coral reef.
Chemistry
Coral calcium itself is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with small amounts of magnesium and other trace minerals. Chemically, calcium carbonate from coral is no different from calcium carbonate from other sources, despite the claims of some companies selling this product. The only possible difference between coral calcium carbonate and other calcium carbonate would be its radio-carbon fraction. There is evidence that in some cases, molecules that contain radioactive atoms can deviate in chemical behavior from those that do not.
Much attention has been given to calcium carbonate's ability to change the pH (or alkalinity) of water-based solutions to which it is added. With respect to pH and alkalinity, the calcium component is less important than the carbonate component, which is chemically similar to the bicarbonate in baking soda. When dissolved in solution, calcium carbonate dissociates into calcium cations (positive ions) and carbonate anions (negative ions). Once in solution, carbonate ions will increase the pH (and alkalinity) of solutions to which they are added. pH can be tested using a litmus test.
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