Which qualitative analyses define water quality?
In order to assess the need for treatment and the right treatment technology, specific contaminants in water must be identified and measured. Water contaminants can be divided into two groups: dissolved contaminants and suspended solids. Suspended solids, such as silt, sand and viruses, are usually responsible for visible impurities. Suspended matter consists of very small particles, which cannot be removed by means of settling. They can be identified through description of visible characteristics of water, including turbidity and clarity, taste, colour and odour of the water: – Suspended matter in the water absorbs light, causing the water to have a cloudy appearance. This is called turbidity. Turbidity can be measured with several different techniques, that show the resistance to light transmission of the water. – Taste sense is able to detect concentrations of a few tenths to several hundreds of ppm. Taste can indicate that contaminants are present, but it cannot identify specific c
