The effects of pH on animals and plants can be summarized as follows: Pollution can modify the pH of water, which can damage animals and plants that live in the water. Low-pH water will corrode or dissolve metals and other substances. The amount of oxygen in water increases as pH rises. A high pH makes the taste bitter and decreases the effectiveness of the chlorine disinfection, thereby causing the need for additional chlorine. Įxcessively high and low pHs can be detrimental for the use of water. There are two methods available for the determination of pH: electrometric and colorimetric methods.
Ī change of 1 unit on a pH scale represents a 10-fold change in the pH, so that water with pH of 7 is 10 times more acidic than water with a pH of 8, and water with a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than water with a pH of 7. Groundwater normally has very low turbidity because of the natural filtration that occurs as the water penetrates through the soil. Turbidity more than 5 NTU can be visible to the average person while turbidity in muddy water, it exceeds 100 NTU. Turbidity is measured by an instrument called nephelometric turbidimeter, which expresses turbidity in terms of NTU or TU. A TU is equivalent to 1 mg/L of silica in suspension. Consequently, the concentration of the dissolved oxygen (DO) can be decreased since warm water carries less dissolved oxygen than cold water. The amount of available food is reduced because higher turbidity raises water temperatures in light of the fact that suspended particles absorb more sun heat. Suspended particles provide adsorption media for heavy metals such as mercury, chromium, lead, cadmium, and many hazardous organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and many pesticides. Suspended materials can clog or damage fish gills, decreasing its resistance to diseases, reducing its growth rates, affecting egg and larval maturing, and affecting the efficiency of fish catching method. The particulates can provide hiding places for harmful microorganisms and thereby shield them from the disinfection process. It can increase the cost of water treatment for various uses. The impact of turbidity can be summarized in the following points: Turbidity in drinking water is esthetically unacceptable, which makes the water look unappetizing.
It is caused by suspended material such as clay, silt, organic material, plankton, and other particulate materials in water. It is a measure of the ability of light to pass through water. Infected water: It is contaminated with pathogenic organism. Ĭontaminated ( polluted) water: It is that water containing unwanted physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substances, and it is unfit for drinking or domestic use. Palatable water: It is esthetically pleasing it considers the presence of chemicals that do not cause a threat to human health. Potable water: It is safe to drink, pleasant to taste, and usable for domestic purposes. The most common scientific definitions of these types of water quality are as follows: Water quality can be classified into four types-potable water, palatable water, contaminated (polluted) water, and infected water. Both types of water can be exposed to contamination risks from agricultural, industrial, and domestic activities, which may include many types of pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizers, hazardous chemicals, and oils. Based on its source, water can be divided into ground water and surface water.
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