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Title:

Total Solids

Aim:

To determine the concentration of total solids in three samples of water.

Abstract:

The concentration of total solids in threes samples of water (sewage and two canal water) were found by evaporating the liquid completely and finding the mass of solids of each sample. The mass of the empty beaker was found so that it could be subtracted from the mass of the beaker and solids to find the mass of total solids. The concentration of sewage water, canal water 1 and canal water 2 were 141,156 ppm, 76,400 ppm and 126,312 ppm respectively.

Introduction: Total solids is a measure of the suspended and dissolved solids in water. Suspended solids are those that will not pass easily through a filter and are therefore retained. Some include silt, clay and plankton. Dissolved solids such as nitrates, chlorides and iron, are able to pass through a water filter. The concentration of total solids affects the water balance of cells in aquatic organisms and it is therefore important to regulate the flow of water in and out of these organisms. A right balance needs to be maintained to prevent an organism either taking in too much or too little water, which can result in death.

Drinking water can become unpleasant if the concentration of total solids is too high and can be harmful to persons who are not accustomed to such high levels. Levels of total solids that are too high or too low can also reduce the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants, as well as the operation of industrial processes that use raw water. Water clarity is also affected as high concentrations of solids tend to make water murky reducing the amount of light passing through it.
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This is detrimental to aquatic plants as photosynthesis will be reduced and to aquatic animals as the temperature of the water will increase. Below is a table that helps in determining the amount of total solids that can be present in sources of water. Sources Drinking Water Distilled Water Seawater Rivers Streams and Lakes Total solids (mg/L) 25-250 (no greater than 500) 0.5-1.5 35,000 100-20,000 50-250

Results:

1. Mass of solids from sewage = 71.8182 g 64,7604 = 7.0578 g Concentration of solids = (7.0578 g/50 ml) x 1,000,000 = 141,156 ppm solids

2. Mass of solids from canal water 1 = 70.2411- 66.4211 g = 3.8200 g Concentration of solids = (3.8200 g/50 ml) x 1,000,000 = 76,400 ppm solids

3. Mass of solids from canal water 2 = 80.688 g 74.3655 g = 6.3156 g Concentration of solids = (6.3156 g/50 ml) x 1,000,000 = 126,312 ppm solids

Discussion:

The measure of the concentration of total solids is important in determining if a body of water contains the right amount of dissolved and suspended particles, and if it contains more than is necessary, to implicate measures in restoring it to the required amount. The water samples collected from sewage and canals contained a large amount of total solids.

The sewage water, in particular, had the most solids in it. Sewage water has anthropogenic influence which often contains urine, faeces and laundry waste. Also, most sewage water run near urban areas and runoff from these areas can carry salt from streets, fertilizers from lawns, along with other types of materials to contribute dissolved solids. Other factors influencing the high concentration of the sewage water includes soil particles caused by runoff and erosion and decayed plant and animal matter that settles in it.

The canal water, compared to the sewage water sample, did not contain such high levels of total solids; however, the concentration was still high. Water that ends up in a canal comes mainly from rivers, lakes and streams. The concentrations of solids in the two samples of canal water collected indicated high level of contamination. Rock fragments from the canal walls could have contributed to the high levels deterioration of the walls could have occurred. Another contributor to the high concentration may have been from the contamination of the rivers and streams that enter the canal.

Touching the beaker with hands, though not significant, may have introduced some error as the moisture from hands may have increased the mass of total solids. A corrective measure is using a cloth or hand towel to hold beaker. Tiny air particles could have been trapped during evaporation of liquid, which could contribute the total mass. Though this not a usual occurrence, careful administering of liquid evaporation should be done so that air bubbles are not trapped in solids.

Conclusion: The concentration of the sample of sewage water, and two samples of canal water were found to be 141,156 ppm, 76,400 ppm and 121, 312 ppm respectively, which indicates that each sample contained extremely high levels of total solids.

References:  Industrial Waste Abatement and Management.(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.albuw.ait.ac.th/Group_R/TDS/report-4/Database/Q&A.htm on October 17, 2010.  Total Solids. (February 19,2010). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/vms58.cfm on October 17, 2010  Water Quality Assessment: Physical: Total Solids. (November 10, 2004). Retrieved from http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQassess4g.html on October 17, 2010.  Exploring the Environment: Water Quality. (November 10, 2004). Retrieved from http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq/wqglossary.html on October 17, 2010.

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