Influence of certain urinary solutes on acidic dissociation constant of ammonium at 37°C

Abstract

The acidic dissociation constant (pKa ' ) of ammonium was studied at 37 °C over a physiologic range of ionic strength. It was demonstrated that certain ions commonly found in high concentration in urine had no discernible effect on the pka' other than that resulting from their contribution to ionic strength. Urea in a concentration of 0.5 moles/l. had no significant effect on pka '. The data are taken to indicate that in urines of usual composition, ammonium pka ' should closely follow the predictions of Debye-Hückel theory. Submitted on June 19, 1959