Water Quality Parameters: SUSPENDED SOLIDS


Sources: 
→) Solids suspended in water may consist of organic or inorganic particles or of immiscible liquids.
→) Inorganic solids such as clay, silt, and other soil constituents are common in surface water.
→) Organic material such as plant fibers biological solids (algal cells, bacteria etc) are also common constituents of surface waters.
→) Other suspended material may result from human use of water.

Impacts:
→) Suspended material may be objectionable in water for several reasons.
→) It is aesthetically displeasing & provides adsorption sites for chemical &biological agents.
→) Suspended organic solids may be degraded biologically, resulting in objectionable by products.
→) Biologically active suspended solids may include disease-causing organisms as well as organisms such as toxin-producing strains of algae.

Measurement
The total solids test quantifies all the solids in the water, suspended & dissolved, organic & inorganic. This parameter is measured by evaporating a sample to dryness & weighing the residue. The total quantity of residue is expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) on a dry-mass-of-solids basis. A drying temperature slightly above boiling (104 degree C) is sufficient to drive off the liquid and the water absorbed to the surface of the particles, while a temperature of about 180 degree C is necessary to evaporate the occluded water.

Use:
→) Suspended solids parameter is used to measure the quality of the waste water influent, to monitor several treatment processes, and to measure the quality of effluent.
→) EPA has set a maximum suspended solids standard of 30mg/L for most treated waste water discharges.

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