Solids (exp:4) - assignment - Q-A

Determination of Total Solids, Total Dissolved Solids and Suspended Solids in Water

(1) Q: Discuss the environmental significance of “solids content” in water.
Ans: To determine whether a water is suitable for domestic purpose, it is required to know how much solid it contains. According to Bangladesh environment preservation act (1997), potable water should not contain more than 1000 mg/l of total dissolved solids (TDS). Water with high dissolved solids generally are of inferior palatability and may induce unfavourable physiological reaction in the user. Water high in suspended solids may be aesthetically unsatisfactory for such purposes as bathing.

(2) Q: How dissolved solids concentration can be estimated from measurements of specific conductance?
Ans: A rapid assessment of the dissolved solids content of water can be obtained by specific-conductance measurements. Such measurements indicate the capacity of a sample to carry an electrical current, which in turn is related to the concentration of ionized substances in the water. Most dissolved inorganic substances in water are in ionized form and so contribute to the specific conductance. Although the nature of the various ions, their relative concentrations, and the ionic strength of the water affect this measurement, such dissolved solids content can be approximated by multiplying the specific conductance (in μS) by an empirical factor varying from about 0.55 to 0.90.

(3) Q: Explain why groundwater typically contains high total dissolved solids compared to surface water. Why is the situation reverse for the case of suspended solids?
Ans: Groundwater typically contains high total dissolved solids compared to surface water because, when water infiltrate through the earth various type of minerals dissolved with groundwater.
The situation reverse for the case of suspended solids because, the opening through which water flows in ground are very small. This considerably restricts the rate of floe while at the same time providing a filtering action against particles originally in suspension in the water.

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