Water Analysis
PH
pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base. The pH of water is a very important measurement concerning water quality.
TS
Total solids are measured by weighing the amount of solids present in a known volume of sample. This is done by weighing a beaker, filling it with a known volume, evaporating the water in an oven and completely drying the residue, and then weighing the beaker with the residue.
TDS
Dissolved solids" refer to any minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions dissolved in water. Total dissolved solids (TDS) comprise inorganic salts (principally calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates) and some small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water.
SS
Suspended solids refers to small solid particles which remain in suspension in water as a colloid or due to the motion of the water, suspended solids can be removed by the sedimentation because of their comparatively large size. It is used as one indicator of water quality.
Hardness
Hardness is due to the presence of multivalent metal ions which come from minerals dissolved in the water. Hardness is based on the ability of these ions to react with soap to form a precipitate or soap scum. In fresh water the primary ions are calcium and magnesium; however iron and manganese may also contribute.
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of water to neutralize acids (see pH description). Alkaline compounds in the water such as bicarbonates (baking soda is one type), carbonates, and hydroxides remove H+ ions and lower the acidity of the water (which means increased pH).
Chloride Content
Chloride levels in unpolluted waters are often below 10 mg/litre and sometimes below 1 mg/litre (4). Chloride in water may be considerably increased by treatment processes in which chlorine or chloride is used.
Sulfate Content
Sulfate is second to bicarbonate as the major anion in hard water reservoirs. Sulfates (SO4--) can be naturally occurring or the result of municipal or industrial discharges. When naturally occurring, they are often the result of the breakdown of leaves that fall into a stream, of water passing through rock or soil containing gypsum and other common minerals, or of atmospheric deposition. Point sources include sewage treatment plants and industrial discharges such as tanneries, pulp mills, and textile mills. Runoff from fertilized agricultural lands also contributes sulfates to water bodies.
BOD
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria and other microorganisms while they decompose organic matter under aerobic (oxygen is present) conditions at a specified temperature. ... The decay of organic matter in water is measured as biochemical or chemical oxygen demand.
COD
The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of water and wastewater quality. The COD test is often used to monitor water treatment plant efficiency. ... The COD is the amount of oxygen consumed to chemically oxidize organic water contaminants to inorganic end products.
Oli & Grease
Oil and grease includes fats, oils, waxes, and other related constituents found in water, generally wastewater. If these compounds are not removed before discharge of treated wastewater, oil and grease can interfere with biological life in surface waters and create unsightly films.
Fe Content
The high iron content is analyzed in the range of 0.25 to 15 mg/l. The high iron content: This method is commonly used to assess the iron content in raw water purification. Fill two test tubes of 5 ml volume with test water.
Amo. Nitrogen
Seawater contains approximately 0.5 ppm nitrogen (dissolved inorganic nitrogen compounds without N2). The amount is clearly lower at the surface, being approximately 0.1 ppb. River water concentrations vary strongly, but are approximately 0.25 ppm in general.