Physicochemical effects of humid air treated with infrared radiation on aqueous solutions

Abstract

Water vapor absorbs well in the infrared (IR) region of the spectra. On the other hand, it was recently demonstrated that IR radiation promotes formation of the so-called exclusion zones (EZ) at the interfaces between hydrophilic surfaces and water. EZ-water properties differ significantly from that of bulk water. It was studied for the first time whether treatment of water with humid air irradiated with IR-C band could change its physical-chemical properties, making it EZ-water-like. Humid air irradiated with IR was called coherent humidity (CoHu). Redox potential and surface tension decreased in deionized water and mineral water samples that were treated with CoHu, while dielectric constant increased in such water samples. After such treatment of carbonate or phosphate buffers, their buffer capacity against acidification and leaching significantly increased. No such changes were observed in water samples treated with non-irradiated humid air. Thus, after treatment of tested aqueous systems with humid air exposed to IR radiation, their properties change, making them more like EZ-water. The results suggest that IR irradiation of humid air converts it into a carrier of a certain physical signal that affects water properties.