Article | REF: R2355 V1

Turbidity measurement

Author: Claude PELLETIER

Publication date: March 10, 2009

You do not have access to this resource.
Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed? Log in!


Overview

Français

ABSTRACT

Turbidity is one of the main parameters allowing for the characterization of water quality at input and output after internal treatment in factories. For most consumers, the clarity and transparency of drinking water remain the proof that it is of high quality. The matters contained in water are either dissolved or under the shape of suspended particles; these particles are involved in the measurement of the turbidity of the water to be treated. After having introduced the theoretical notions of turbidity, this article goes on to present the measurement and calibration principles associated to this parameter. The various measurement techniques and their fields of application are then detailed.

Read this article from a comprehensive knowledge base, updated and supplemented with articles reviewed by scientific committees.

Read the article

AUTHOR

  • Claude PELLETIER: Engineer from the École supérieure d'ingénieurs en génie électrique (ESIGELEC-Charliat) - Technical Director EXERA (Association des exploitants d'équipements de mesure, de régulation et d'automatismes)

 INTRODUCTION

Turbidimetry is part of industrial photometry, and represents one of the main parameters for determining drinking water quality. Indeed, the clarity and transparency of water are the image of high water quality for most people.

Turbidimeters are used in a wide variety of applications, including :

  • Drinking water treatment to check that sedimentation, flocculation, decantation and filtration equipment is working properly;

  • wastewater treatment ;

  • microbiological research ;

  • the food industry:

    • drinks, soups,

    • dairy,

    • cheese dairy, etc. ;

  • sulfate analysis ;

  • surface treatments ;

  • thermal systems for water quality control:

    • control of colloidal silica for boiler and turbine protection,

    • iron particles entrained in steam production from geothermal sites;

  • the pulp and paper industry ;

  • the semiconductor industry;

  • textile industry;

  • the chemical and petrochemical industries ;

  • various other industries.

Fluid turbidity can be modified by changes in its physical, microbiological, chemical and radiological properties. These changes can have significant effects on the microbiological quality of drinking water, due to the presence of bacteria and viruses. Microbial growth in water is particularly marked on the surface of particles and within low-coherence flocs. There is a coincidence between the existence of pathogenic germs and suspended solids.

Excessive turbidity alters the appearance of treated water and can interfere with the disinfection process and the maintenance of a sufficient chlorine residual in the distribution network.

Turbidity measurement can be used as a substitute for other parameters, for example:

  • detection of bacteria and viruses;

  • arsenic in natural water, the turbidity of which gives an indication of its content;

  • surface treatment water, whose pH measurement (neutralization) is followed by turbidity measurement.

These analyzers are designed for installation at operating sites for continuous water monitoring:

...
You do not have access to this resource.

Exclusive to subscribers. 97% yet to be discovered!

You do not have access to this resource.
Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed? Log in!


The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference

A Comprehensive Knowledge Base, with over 1,200 authors and 100 scientific advisors
+ More than 10,000 articles and 1,000 how-to sheets, over 800 new or updated articles every year
From design to prototyping, right through to industrialization, the reference for securing the development of your industrial projects

This article is included in

Physical measurements

This offer includes:

Knowledge Base

Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees

Services

A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources

Practical Path

Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills

Doc & Quiz

Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading

Subscribe now!

Ongoing reading
Turbidity measurement