Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles (suspended solids) that are generally invisible to the

naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Fluids can contain suspended solid matter consisting of particles of many different sizes. While some suspended material will be large enough and heavy enough to settle rapidly to the bottom of the container if a liquid sample is left to stand (the settable solids), very small particles will settle only very slowly or not at all if the sample is regularly agitated or the particles are colloidal. These small solid particles cause the liquid to appear turbid. Turbidity (or haze) is also applied to transparent solids such as glass or plastic. In plastic production haze is defined as the percentage of light that is deflected more than 2.5 from the incoming light direction.

Causes
Turbidity in open water may be caused by growth of phytoplankton. Human activities that disturb land, such as construction,mining and agriculture, can lead to high sediment levels entering water bodies during rain storms due to storm water runoff. Areas prone to high bank erosion rates as well as urbanized areas also contribute large amounts of turbidity to nearby waters, through stormwater pollution from paved surfaces such as roads, bridges and parking lots.[2] Certain industries such as quarrying, miningand coal recovery can generate very high levels of turbidity from colloidal rock particles. In drinking water, the higher the turbidity level, the higher the risk that people may develop gastrointestinal diseases[citation needed]. This is especially problematic for immunocompromised people, because contaminants like viruses or bacteria can become attached to the suspended solid. The suspended solids interfere with water disinfection with chlorine because the particles act as shields for the virus and bacteria. Similarly, suspended solids can protect bacteria from ultraviolet (UV) sterilization of water.[citation needed] In water bodies such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs, high turbidity levels can reduce the amount of light reaching lower depths, which can inhibit growth of submerged aquatic plants and consequently affect species which are dependent on them, such as fishand shellfish. High turbidity levels can also affect the ability of fish

gills to absorb dissolved oxygen. This phenomenon has been regularly observed throughout the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States.[3][4] For many mangrove areas, high turbidity is needed to support certain species, such as to protect juvenile fish from predators. For most mangroves along the eastern coast of Australia, in particular Moreton Bay, turbidity levels as high as 600 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) are needed for proper ecosystem functioning. [edit]Measurement

Turbid creek water caused by heavy rains.

The most widely used measurement unit for turbidity is the FTU (Formazin Turbidity Unit). ISOrefers to its units as FNU (Formazin Nephelometric Units). There are several practical ways of checking water quality, the most direct being some measure of attenuation (that is, reduction in strength) of light as it passes through a sample column of water. The alternatively used Jackson Candle method (units: Jackson Turbidity Unit or JTU) is essentially the inverse measure of the length of a column of water needed to completely obscure a candle flame viewed through it. The more water needed (the longer the water column), the clearer the water. Of course water alone produces some attenuation, and any substances dissolved in the water that produce color can attenuate some wavelengths. Modern instruments do not use candles, but this approach of attenuation of a light beam through a column of water should be calibrated and reported in JTUs. A property of the particles that they will scatter a light beam focused on them is considered a more meaningful measure of turbidity in water. Turbidity measured this way uses an instrument called a nephelometer with the detector setup to the side of the light beam. More light reaches the detector if there are lots of small particles scattering the source beam than if there are few. The units of turbidity from a

calibrated nephelometer are called Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). To some extent, how much light reflects for a given amount of particulates is dependent upon properties of the particles like their shape, color, and reflectivity. For this reason (and the reason that heavier particles settle quickly and do not contribute to a turbidity reading), a correlation between turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) is somewhat unique for each location or situation. Turbidity in lakes, reservoirs, channels, and the ocean can be measured using a Secchi disk. This black and white disk is lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen; the depth (Secchi depth) is then recorded as a measure of the transparency of the water (inversely related to turbidity). The Secchi disk has the advantages of integrating turbidity over depth (where variable turbidity layers are present), being quick and easy to use, and inexpensive. It can provide a rough indication of the depth of theeuphotic zone with a 3-fold division of the Secchi depth, however this cannot be used in shallow waters where the disk can still be seen on the bottom. An additional device, which may help measuring turbidity in shallow waters is the Turbidity tube.[5][6] The Turbidity tube condenses water in a graded tube which allows determination of turbidity based on a contrast disk in its bottom, being analog to the Secchi disk. Turbidity in air, which causes solar attenuation, is used as a measure of pollution. To model the attenuation of beam irradiance, several turbidity parameters have been introduced, including the Linke turbidity factor (TL).[7] [edit]Standards [edit]Drinking

and test methods

water standards

Governments have set standards on the allowable turbidity in drinking water. In the United States, systems that use conventional or direct filtration methods turbidity cannot be higher than 1.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) at the plant outlet and all samples for turbidity must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU for at least 95 percent of the samples in any month. Systems that use filtration other than the conventional or direct filtration must follow state limits, which must include turbidity at no time exceeding 5 NTU. Many drinking water utilities strive to achieve levels as low as 0.1 NTU.[8] [edit]Ambient

water standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published water quality criteria for turbidity.[9] These criteria are scientific assessments of the effects of turbidity, which are used by states to develop water quality standards for water bodies. (States may also publish their own criteria.) Some states have promulgated water quality standards for turbidity, including:

Louisiana. 25, 50 or 150 NTU, or background plus 10 percent, depending on the water body.[10] Vermont. 10 NTU or 25 NTU, depending on water body classification.[11]

Washington. 5 NTU over background (when background is 50 NTU or less), or 10 percent increase when background is over 50 NTU.[12] [edit]Analytical methods Published analytical test methods for turbidity include:

ISO 7027 "Water Quality: Determination of Turbidity" [13] US EPA Method No. 180.1, "Turbidity"[14] "Standard Methods," No. 2130B.[15]

[edit]See

also

Underwater diving portal

Transparency and translucency Bottom trawling McFarland standard Stormwater Total suspended solids Water purification

Turbidity Overview: What is Turbidity and how is it measured?

Introduction to Turbidity

Turbidity is an optical characteristic or property of a liquid, which in general terms describes the clarity, or haziness of the liquid. Turbidity has always been based on human observation and while this phenomenon is quantifiable by many different means, much discussion still exits around the various techniques used to measure turbidities of fluids. Turbidity is not color related, but relates rather to the loss of transparency due to the effect of suspended particulate, colloidal material, or both. A lack of turbidity results in clarity or clearness because it is, in part, the effect of these various suspended materials on light passing through a liquid. A body of water, such as a lake, is a natural example of turbidity. All of us have seen lakes that are very clear to the eye, and are sometimes fascinated by the depth to which one can see. On the other hand you find 'murky' waters where you couldn't see your hand at arm's length. Detectable depth of a visual target, called a Secchi disk, is a measurement technique still used today for lake and river water turbidity clarity assessments.

Classified as an "optical property," direction of illumination, stray light, background, and optical path length, can have an affect the turbidity measured, but not color itself. Some turbidity constituents are temperature sensitive, and may only precipitate out of solution when chilled, or may dissipate when heated. Other protein-based components may precipitate as a compound reacting with other dissolved material. While changing color will change the observed effect of the liquid on light passing through it, the actual turbidity will not change due to color change alone.
What is Process Turbidity?

Secchi disk being lowered into a lake.

Process turbidity is an assessment of a product's clarity being made or processed in a continuous or a batch production system. Typically measured against a baseline quality control parameter, or as a measurement of process performance.

optek in-line turbidity meter, TF16-N

Often times, samples of the process liquid are taken and the actual turbidity assessment is performed visually by lab personnel or with a multitude of bench-top style turbidity meters. Sampling allows other influences such as time, settling, and temperature to affect the sample reading. When sampling the product from a pipe to measure turbidity, it is no longer a "process" measurement. This being said, process turbidity is not a laboratory, bench-top, or grab sample measurement.

In recent years, on-line and inline turbidity meters that take an "optical" measurement off of, or inside of, a pipe carrying the product have been used more often as these process systems became more automated.

Electronic turbidity measurements are being made as the product is being made or refined in the process. The advantage of on-line or inline measurement is that the measurement results occur continuously, in "real-time", and provide a more representative assessment of the actual process conditions.

A optek TF16 turbidity meter installed in the centrate pipe monitors clarification performance of the centrifuge and initiates de-sludging.

Immediate action can now be taken when process conditions change, or are out of spec. Process turbidity measurements can also be made in a "bypass" line or slipstream. Slipstreams have been a common practice due to line size limitations or the maintenance requirements of certain instruments. While this is considered a process turbidity measurement, the use of a bypass line is not usually desirable as variations between the process line and bypass line can change particle concentration and size distribution.

Additionally, temperature decreases due to the bypass may have a profound effect on detectable haze levels. In sanitary applications, in which process instruments clean-in-place, or CIP, bypass lines or slipstreams present an additional cast of cleaning challenges and should be avoided.

The performance of process turbidity meters are often checked, or validated, by using laboratory measurement methods. It is important to note that these correlation studies must be thoroughly evaluated for consistency of technique, temperature, time, color, sample preparation and other possible procedural errors.

Differences in optical design, wavelengths of light used, angle of measurement, and reference techniques used (or not used), between various turbidity instruments, will inevitably impact the accuracy and repeatability of the individual results. This has historically been, and continues to be, a challenge. If possible, the same measurement angles, methods, and techniques should be used in both the process as well as the lab assessments, to minimize any deviation, and create viable correlations.

Turbidity Meter is used to measure turbidity in the laboratory , in outdoor and field applications a portable turbidity meter would be used and for plant and process applications a continuous online controller would be used. Turbidity meters use an instrument called a nephelometer with the detector setup to the side of the light beam. More light reaches the detector if there are many small particles reflecting the source beam than if there are few. The units of turbidity from a calibrated nephelometer are called Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water- the cloudier the water, the greater the turbidity. Turbidity is caused by suspended solids caused by phytoplankton, human activities that disturb land such as construction that can result in high sentiment levels. Turbidity is important because high turbidity in drinking water can lead to develop into gastrointestinal diseases. High turbidity in water bodies such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs, can reduce the amount of light reaching lower depths, which can inhibit growth of submerged aquatic plants and consequently affect species which are dependent on them, such as fish and shellfish.