View the Whole Report - Center for Research in Water Resources ...

Total Suspended Solids
The analysis for TSS was conducted according to the procedure outlined in
Standard Methods for the Examination Of Water and Wastewater (1992) section 2540 D,
Total Suspended Solids Dried at 103-105 o C. Initially, 20 to 30 mL of distilled water are
passed through the filter. The filter is dried in an oven for 1 hour, allowed to cool in a
desiccator for 15 to 20 minutes, and weighed. A Whatman grade 934AH filter and a
filtration apparatus which is the equivalent of a Gelman No. 4201 was used for filtering
the samples.
Subsequently, 10 to 100 mL of the water sample was filtered. The solids retained
on the filter and the filter are dried in an oven at 103 o C for 1 hour and cooled in a
desiccator for 15 to 20 minutes. The residue and the filter are weighed, and the total
suspended solids are calculated as:
mg total suspended solids/L =
(A - B) x 100
sample volume (mL)
where: A = weight of filter + dried residue, mg, and
B = weight of filter, mg.
Duplicate samples were analyzed for every tenth TSS analysis as a quality control
measure, and the average of the results was reported.
Turbidity
Turbidity is defined as an “expression of the optical property that causes light to
be scattered and absorbed rather than transmitted in straight lines through the sample”
(Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 1992), and commonly
is used as a standard for assessing the clarity of water designated for human consumption
and manufacturing usage. The extent to which suspended silts and clays, organic and
inorganic matter, and microscopic organisms are present in a sample defines the clarity
and in turn the turbidity of a sample (Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
Wastewater, 1992).
97