Question

Water treatment plants are increasingly employing online turbidity monitoring a) Explain why turbidity monitoring can be an important measurement form a public health perspective b) How would you use the results of online turbidity monitoring to help ensure safe drinking water quality?

Answer 1

Importance of turbidity monitoring form a public health perspective

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity, cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of suspended materials include soil particles, algae, plankton, microbes, and other substances.these suspended particles are generally invisible to the naked eye. Sources of turbidity include Waste discharge, Soil erosion, Large numbers of bottom feeders (such as carp), Excessive algal growth etc.

Importance

1. Higher turbidity in water decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Suspended materials such as soil particles (sand) can clog fish gills and cause disease in fish, lowering growth rates, and affecting egg and larval development.

2.Higher turbidity in water causes the reduction of the amount of light penetrating the water which causes a decrease in photosynthesis. So the plants inside the water will be affected.

3. Since we know that suspended particles absorb more heat, therefore, it increases water temperatures. Due to increase in temperature, there is a reduction in the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) because warm water holds less DO than cold water.

4. If the turbidity is high, suspended particles can settle down to bottom and this happens especially in case of a slower water stream, and it can smother fish eggs and benthic macroinvertebrates.

5. Surface water sources exhibit high turbidity levels as compared to groundwater sources during periods of high precipitation. So it can cause a health concern as an indicator of health risk.

6. As turbidity increases, the risk to newborns, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems (e.g. those with HIV/Aids, undergoing chemotherapy, or taking anti-rejection drugs also increases.

Use the results of online turbidity monitoring to help ensure safe drinking water quality

there are some standards on the allowable turbidity in drinking water. It is different in every country. online turbidimeter calibration helps us to meet these standards. online turbidimeter calibration is fast, clean and reusable. On-screen menu items guide you through the online turbidity analyzer's calibration procedure quickly and easily. The online turbidimeters have reusable primary standards which are contained in sealed glass cuvettes. Simply place the cuvette into the online turbidity analyzer's measuring chamber and verify the reading-just like a laboratory turbidity meter.  online turbidimeter includes an isolated 4-20 mA current output that may be used for the chart or data recording, remote monitoring, PLCs or SCADA systems. Two user settable alarm relays on the online turbidity analyzer may be connected to an autodialer or local alarm to notify you before dangerously high turbidity levels occur.

In the United States, turbidity level is measured in terms of nephelometric turbidity units (NTU). If any plant that t uses conventional or direct filtration methods turbidity should not be higher than 1 NTU at the plant outlet. plants that use filtration other than the conventional or direct filtration turbidity should not exceed 5 NTU. In drinking water utilities NTU levels should be as low as 0.1 NTU.