Turbidity

ABSTRACT
Turbidity is an important water quality parameter. It is an easy and cost-effective way of determining water quality in
assessment of it safety for human consumption as well as its environmental impacts and changes over time. Turbidity is made vital in
the process industry due to these reasons. In this experiment, the minute differences in turbidity between clear water samples as well as
the effect of contaminants on water turbidity is examined and confirmed. The importance of turbidity for chemical and environmental
engineers is expressed in this experiment.

Keywords: Turbidity, Water Quality, Turbidemeter, Light Scatter Methods, Attenuation Methods.

INTRODUCTION the NTU is more commonly used, the FNU has a much more
decisive advantage as the use of an infrared light source
Many liquids are essential in our daily life, they may include makes it so that the sensors are not affected by the color of
water, beverages, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The the medium measured. The device used in the determination
quality of these liquids is determined by their chemical and of turbidity for this experiment utilizes the NTU units,
physical properties. To assess these, various principles of though conversion to FNU is set at a 1:1 ratio.
measurement are used, one these measurements is turbidity.
The industry standard for the determination of light scatter
in liquids is most commonly derived from measuring the 90
Turbidity is defined as the measure of the degree of degree light scatter as shown in figure 1. However, this is
suspended particles interfering with transparency in water or considered to be most effective only for liquids with
clear liquid. Turbidity was long made apparent just from turbidity levels of less than 4 NTU. Another way of
simple visual examination in the earlier methods of turbidity measuring is through the determination of light
measurement such as the Secchi disk and the Jackson transmittance through the sample. This is referred to as the
Method which primarily rely on subjective observation of attenuation measurement, wherein the detector is directly
visibility. However, as of now there are many and much across the light source as opposed to the light scatter method.
more accurate and reproducible methods for the The attenuation measurement utilizes a similar concept to
determination of turbidity. The primary method for the the spectrophotometric methods and is there for considered
systematic determination of turbidity is through the to be a much more reliable method of measurement for
examination of light scattering. Measurements are samples that have turbidity levels of upwards of 4 NTU, as
conducted to quantify the light loss from the transmitted the direct measurement of transmitted light is much more
beam, or the light scattered at an angle. The basic principle consistent for higher particle density samples. The signal
and mechanism of modern turbidity measuring tools is curves from both methods are shown in figure 2.
shown in figure 1. As shown, a light beam is directed
towards the sample while several sensors are in place to
measure light scatter.

This measureFigure
is 1expressed
Turbidity Measurement
as levelsConcept
of turbidity in
Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) or Formazin Figure 2 Scattered light measurement (left), Attenuation Measurement
Nephelometric Unit (FNU). The key difference between the (right)
two units is the light source used in the determination. The
NTU is derived from the USA EPA 180.1 standard and The importance of turbidity measurement lies primarily in
makes use of white light in the visible range, whereas the the assessment of water quality. Pure water, without any
FNU is derived from measurements made using an infrared other molecules is very much hard to come by in natural
light source as specified by the ISO 7027 standard. Though environments as extreme purification methods would have
1
Student, CM116-PL School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering and Sciences, nkborja@mymail.mapua.edu.ph
2
Professor, School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering and Sciences
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to be used to ensure absolute purity. However, that does not turbidity becomes extremely valuable in the determination
necessarily mean that water containing several other and maintenance of such water reservoirs. A more industrial
molecular species is inherently dangerous. This state may be application would lie primarily in process industries such as
natural to ecosystems or it may not be. The key concern lies desalination plants, dairy production, water treatment and
in changes in the turbidity that directly affects not only the purification as well as in the pharmaceutical industries as
local ecosystem but the people who utilize this as well. these industries are built on liquid quality especially for safe
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), target human consumption. Thus, knowledge regarding the
turbidity levels for safe potable water must not exceed 1 significance of turbidity is made extremely valuable to
NTU. This is made an ideal for standard for water treatment practices like chemical engineering, environmental
facilities and such as failure to meet turbidity standards for engineering and many more.
water treatments can indicate the possible presence of health
hazards in the water. METHODOLOGY

2.1 Reagents and Apparatuses

The apparatus used in the determination of

turbidity is the Eutech Turbidemeter provided by the
university laboratory. The device present turbidity
measurement according to the USA EPA 180.1, in NTU.

Figure 4 Eutech Turbidemeter

Figure 3 Turbidity Effects on Ecosystems

As shown in the figure above, water turbidity

greatly affects all organisms that are involved in its
ecosystem. The higher the NTU measure of water the more
drastic its effects are. This is shown on the left hand side of
the shown figure wherein, higher turbidity caused by several
reasons, namely; increased contamination by sediment and
nutrients, bank scouring from loose bank soil and plankton
Figure 5 Turbidity measurement device
shading leads to intense habitat modifications from reduced
visibility to fish gill clogging and decreased oxygen The sample procured for the experiment were
production from marine fauna due to blanketing (referring distilled water, deep well water and stagnant rainwater.
to settlement of particles on plant life blocking sunlight
input, thus hindering photosynthesis) . While this level of
turbidity may be natural to certain ecosystems, consider the
right-hand side of figure 3, if the turbidity level changes
from right to left over time, this may adversely affect the
ecosystem.

These Tueffects do not only greatly affect animals

but by extension, humans as well. The lessened
diversification may lead to ecosystems collapsing on larger
scales causing significant impact on industry and most
importantly water sources. A lot of our potable water is
sourced from natural reservoirs that also house ecosystems,
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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Figure 6 stagnant rainwater (left) Deep well water (right)
Turbidity is highly important in the determination
of water quality, a parameter that must be a large concern
2.2 Procedure especially was water is vital need for humans. Turbidity as a
safety parameter is an effective way of determining the
The experiment is geared towards the difference between water samples that very much look the
same to the naked eye, such as the distilled water sample vs
determination of turbidity levels of several samples in NTU.
the deep well sample. With turbidity measurement, water
quality can be very much assured. Through the experiment
The sample container is filled with the water sample up to we are also able to find out how the presence of
the indicated mark contaminants greatly affect the turbidity levels of samples as
exhibited by the stagnant rainwater sample.
The container is sealed and placed inside the device slot,
the arow mark on the container must be aligned to its In conclusion, turbidity is an important parameter
corresponding mark on the device.
in the determination of water quality, something that is very
important to the process and environmental industries.
The reading is recorded accordingly.
REFERENCES
Figure 2. Methodology flow chart for the use of the turbidimeter.
Fondriest Environmental, Inc. (2014, September). Turbidity,
Suspended Solids & Water Clarity. Retrieved from
It is important that the sample containers are
https://www.fondriest.com/environmental
cleaned thoroughly to prevent any interference with the
measurements/parameters/water-quality/turbidity
device measurements.
total-suspended-solids-water-clarity/.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Hach. (n.d.). Retrieved from
The results obtained in the experiment expressed https://support.hach.com/app/answers/answer_
turbidity measurement in NTU. It is important to recall that iew/a_id/1000336/~/what-is-the-difference
potable water according to the WHO standard must procure between-the-turbidity-units-ntu,-fnu,-ftu,-and
NTU values of < 1. fau?-what.

Table 1. Turbidity Measurements Paar, A. (n.d.). The principles of dynamic light scattering
Sample Turbidity (NTU) Retrieved from https://wiki.anton
Distilled Water 0.00 paar.com/en/the-principles-of-dynamic-light
Deep Well Water 1.28
Stagnant Rain Water 58.1 scattering/.

As shown in table 1, distilled water is to be

considered most safe for human consumption with an NTU
value of zero, well below the < 1 standard from the WHO. World Health Organization (n.d), Retrieved from;
The deep well water sample is close but greater than the https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hyg
ideal standard making it less safe, this may be attributed to ene/emergencies/fs2_33.pdf
the nature of the water source as sediment is expected to be
higher for deep well water sources as it may come into World Health Organization (n.d), Retrieved from;
contact with some soil or rain water. Lastly, the stagnant https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq
rainwater which already appeared discolored just form gdwqvol32ed.pdf
visual inspection present a dangerously high NTU value
rendering it unsafe for any sort of use. This high NTU level World Health Organization (2017) Retrieved from:
may be attributed to the presence of microorganisms like https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/pub
algae and other particles accumulating due to its prolonged ications/turbidity-information-200217.pdf
exposure to the environment in especially stagnant
conditions.