Environmental Engineering

(CE3030)
Dr. Praveena G
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering
IIT Palakkad

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(ii) Chemical water quality parameters
• Total dissolved solids and conductivity
• pH
• Acidity, Alkalinity, and hardness
• BOD, COD, and TOC
• Toxic chemicals
• Nutrients
• Disinfectants and Disinfectant By-Products (D-DBPs).

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 1. Total dissolved solids
• Total dissolved solids (TDS) is a measure of the total ions in solution, analyzed by filtering
out the suspended material, evaporating the filtrate, and weighing the remaining
residue.
• Contains organic and inorganic substances
inorganic : minerals, metals, and gases
Organic: vegetation, organic chemicals, organic gases

• In drinking water acceptable TDS concentration is 500 mg/L

• Higher concentration imparts undesirable taste
• High TDS content tends to stain glassware and adverse impacts on crops and plants

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Conductivity
• A parameter related to TDS is electrical conductivity (EC) or specific conductance.
The unit of EC is microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm) or micromhos per
centimeter (μ Ω /cm)

• Specific conductance : ability of water to conduct electricity. It is the function of

ionic strength.

TDS = 0.5 × EC μS/cm (if TDS concentration is less than 1000 mg/L)
TDS = 0.9 x EC μS/cm ( if TDS concentration is high)

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2. pH
• Used to express the intensity of acid or alkaline condition of a
solution.

Significance: water treatment processes

• Factor considered in chemical coagulation, disinfection, water
softening and corrosion control.

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 H2O H+ + OH-

H+ OH−
K=
[H2O]

at 25oC; Kw= H+ OH− Kw = dissociation constant for water

10-14 = 10-7 X 10-7

Acidic Alkaline

pH = -log H+ 14
0 7
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