IT is well known that a considerable part of the soluble salts present in soil, lakes and rivers is derived from rainwater1. There is little doubt that the salt content in the rainwater comes mainly from ocean water spray, which is carried into the atmosphere from the surface of the sea, where tiny droplets are formed by air jets shooting out of the top of bursting air bubbles2.

Evidence, based on physical–chemical measurements of the organic layers, has been presented to show that tributyl phosphate extracts hydrobromic acid as its disolvate in medium acid concentrations, and probably as monosolvate in high concentrations. The determination of water in the tributyl phosphate phases indicates that at low and medium acid concentrations the acid is extracted as its tetrahydrate, and at high concentrations as an unhydrated species. From these results, the formation of [(TBP)2.HBr.(H2O)6] and [TBP.HBr. (H2O)3] could be deduced.

A yellow solution of hexanitrodiphenylamine produces orange or red colour with organic bases. The different intensities of the orange and red colours are sufficiently characteristic to permit the quantitative determination of several organic bases.