Water and Waste Water

Test Water Description

pH
Semi-quantifies H2O pH using the pH meter.

Summary: This method determines the pH of water. It is most applicable to waters with a pH
ranging from 4.0 to 9.0. Values are reported to the nearest 0.1 pH unit. The analysis requires
approximately 5 mL of sample but 10 mL is requested to allow for quality control samples.
Test results are usually reported within one to two working days.

Turbidity
Measurement of the turbidity using a nephelometer.

Summary: Turbidity in water is caused by suspended and colloidal matter and is an

expression of the optical property that causes light to be scattered and absorbed rather than
transmitted. The method has a detection limit of 0.1 NTU. Test results are usually reported
within one to two working days.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY (EC)

Semi-quantifies the amount of soluble salts in H2O using the conductivity meter.

Summary: The higher the concentration of salt in a solution, the higher will be the electrical
conductance (the reciprocal of resistance). The method has a detection limit of approximately
0.01 dS/m. The analysis requires 10 mL of sample but 25 mL is requested to allow for quality
control samples. Test results are usually reported within one to two working days.

ALKALINITY, BICARBONATE AND CARBONATE

Alkalinity, HCO3, CO3

Quantification of the bicarbonate (HCO 3-) and carbonate (CO32-) in H2O by titration with dilute
H2SO4 acid.

Summary: This method measures bicarbonate (HCO3-), carbonate (CO32-) and alkalinity
levels in water. Quantitation is by titration with 0.025 N H 2SO4. The method has a routine
detection limit of 0.1 meq/L but is capable of a method detection limit for alkalinity of 2 mg
CaCO3/L if requested by client. Test results are usually reported within two working days.

CHLORIDE - ELECTROMETRIC TITRATION METHOD

Solubles: Cl
Amount of chloride based on electrometric titration of H 2O.

Summary: This method quantifies the amount of Cl in a water sample. It is based upon the
electrometric titration with silver using an automatic colorimetric/amperometric chloride
titrator. The method has a detection limit of 0.1 meq L-1 Cl. Test results are usually reported
within two working days.

SOLUBLE ELEMENTS
Solubles: Al, B, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Si, Zn
Quantitative determination by AAS and ICP-MS.

Summary: This method quantitatively determines the concentration of the listed elements in
water samples by flame Atomic Absorption (AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic
Emission Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Approximately 100 mL per sample is requested. Sampling
containers are usually acidified at the time of collection. Test results are usually reported
within three to five working days.

COPPER IN WATER BY GRAPHITE FURNACE

By Special Request
Quantitative measurement of Copper concentration in water by Graphite Furnace.

Summary: The method has a detection limit of approximately 0.1 ug/L for copper. The
analysis requires approximately 2.5 mL of sample but 10 mL is requested to allow for quality
control samples. Samples should be refrigerated and acidified until delivery to the lab. Test
results are usually reported within three working days.

AMMONIUM - DISTILLATION METHOD

Quantization of Ammonium using the distillation method.

Summary: This method involves the quantitation of ammonium (NH4-N) in water and waste
water. Samples are pH adjusted to pH >9.5, steam distilled into dilute sulfuric acid and
analyzed by Kjeldahl procedure with sulfuric acid and digestion catalyst. Test results are
usually reported within two working days.

TOTAL KJELDAHL NITROGEN - TKN

TKN
Total reduced nitrogen by the wet oxidation of H2O using micro Kjeldahl procedure with
sulfuric acid and digestion catalyst.

Summary: The Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) method is based on the wet oxidation of
nitrogen using sulfuric acid and digestion catalyst. The procedure converts organic nitrogen to
the ammonium form and subsequent determination of ammonium. Test results are usually
reported within three working days.

SOLUBLE PHOSPHOROUS IN WATER

Solubles: P
Quantitative determination by ascorbic acid reduction of phosphomolybdate complex and
quantitative measurement by flow injection analysis.

Summary: Phosphorus concentration in water is determined spectrophotometrically by

reacting with ammonium molybdate and antimony potassium tartrate under acidic conditions
to form a complex. This complex is reduced with abscorbic acid to form a blue complex which
absorbs light at 880 nm. Test results are usually reported within two working days.
TOTAL SOLIDS, TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS, TOTAL DISSOLVED
SOLIDS

TS, TSS, TDS

Quantitation of solids by oven drying and gravimetric analysis.

Summary: This method quantifies solids in water or wastewater samples using gravimetric
analysis following oven drying. Solids refer to matter suspended or dissolved in the water or
wastewater and may affect water or effluent quality in adverse ways. Test results are usually
reported within three working days.

HARDNESS

Hardness
Calculation of hardness from Ca and Mg.

Summary: This method is based on the formation of a chelated soluble complex obtained
between EDTA- disodium salt and certain metallic cations. EDTA-disodium salt is used as
titrant, and in the present of indicator Eriochrome back T at pH 10.0 ± 0.1 in a solution
containing calcium and/or magnesium, the color changes from wine red into blue. Hardness
is expressed as mg equivalent CaCO3/L. Test results are usually reported within two working
.days

ANIONS BY ION CHROMATOGRAPHY

SO4, Cl, NO3, NO2, F, Br

Analysis of anions by Ion Chromatography.

Summary: This method quantitatively measures the concentration of anions in water

samples by Ion Chromatography (IC). The analysis requires approximately 1 mL of sample
but 5 mL is requested to allow for quality control samples. Samples should be refrigerated
until delivery to the lab. Test results are usually reported within five working days.

TOTAL SILICA-HF

Si
Silica concentration by nitric acid/hydrogen peroxide/hydrofluoric acid digestion and ICP
analysis.

Summary: This method quantitatively determines the concentration of utilizing a nitric

acid/hydrogen peroxide/hydrofluoric acid microwave digestion and determination Inductively
Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Test results are usually reported
within three working days.

SELENIUM

Totals: Se
Total selenium using nitric/perchloric acid digestion/dissolution of sample. Quantitative
determination by vapor generation by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission
spectroscopy (ICP-MS).
Summary: This method is quantitative for selenium and is based on the wet oxidation of
selenium bearing organic carbon and inorganic selenium compounds utilizing nitric, perchloric
and sulfuric acids, reduction of selenate to selenite (IV). Test results are usually reported
within three working days.

ARSENIC

Totals: (Complete Digestion) As

Total arsenic, nitric/perchloric acid digestion/dissolution of sample and determination by vapor
generation by (CVAAS).

Summary: This method is quantitative for arsenic utilizing nitric, perchloric and sulfuric acids,
reduction of arsenate to arsenite. Test results are usually reported within three working days.

MERCURY

Totals: Hg
Mercury utilizing nitric acid and potassium permanganate digestion, and determination by
(CVAAS).

Summary: This method is quantitative for mercury utilizing nitric acid and potassium
permanganate digestion. Test results are usually reported within three working days.

          
BOD - Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Summary: BOD is normally expressed as BOD-5 or five-day BOD, the amount of oxygen
consumed by microbes (for example within a septic treatment systems) over a five day
period, for a given volume of wastewater. BOD is used to describe the quality of untreated
wastewater, or in other words, to determine the amount of treatment that wastewater will
require before it can be discharged to the environment. Test results are usually reported
within six working days.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Summary: The amount of oxygen (measured in mg/L) that is consumed in the oxidation of
organic and oxidasable inorganic matter, under test conditions. It is used to measure the total
amount of organic and inorganic pollution in wastewater. Contrary to BOD, with COD
practically all compounds are fully oxidized. Test results are usually reported within three
working days.

Coliform Bacteria

Summary: Coliform bacteria are a type of bacteria which often grow in the guts of warm-
blooded animals such as humans, but can also be found in plants, soil, water, or air. These
bacteria are used as indicator species when testing water for human consumption. If coliform
bacteria are present in the water, then other microorganisms which cause disease are also
likely to be present. Test results are usually reported within three working days.

Fecal Coliform
Summary: is a portion of the coliform bacteria group originating in the intestinal tract of
warm-blooded animals that pass into the environment as feces. Fecal coliform often is used
as an indicator of the bacteriological safety of a domestic water supply.

The fecal coliform bacterial densities will be determined using the membrane filtration
technique. The MF procedure uses an enriched lactose medium and an incubation
temperature of 44.5 + 0.2 oC. Fecal coliform is bacteria typically found in the feces of warm
blooded mammals. Test results are usually reported within four working days.

Eschericha coli (E. coli)

Summary: Coliform bacterium that is often associated with human and animal waste and is
found in the intestinal court. Test results are usually reported within four working days.

Fecal Streptococcus

Summary: The fecal streptococcus group consists of a number of species of the genus
Streptococcus, such as: S. faecalis, S. faecium, S. avium, S. bovis, S. equinus, and S.
gallinarum. Fecal Streptococci are typically found in the gastrointestinal tract of warm blooded
animals. Test results are usually reported within four working days.

Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count

Summary: Heterotrophic plate count is a procedure for estimating the number of live
heterotrophic bacteria in the water. This procedure can accommodate volumes of sample or
diluted < 1.0 ml. Test is typically performed in high purity water, pilot treatment facility
performance evaluations, and pilot scale testing. Test results are usually reported within three
working days.

Giardia

Summary: A microrganism that is commonly found in untreated surface water and can be
removed by filtration. It is resistant to disinfectants such as chlorine.

Cryptosporidium

Summary: A microorganism in water that causes gastrointestinal illness in humans. It is

commonly found in untreated surface water and can be removed by filtration. It is resistant to
disinfectants such as chlorine, in a healthy population, infection results in acute diarrhea,
which lasts for 2-3 weeks. The parasite can be life threatening for people who suffer from
suppressed immune systems such as AIDS patients, children, and the elderly. Since the
common method of treatment for cryptospordium is filtration and chlorine is ineffective.

Yeast and Molds

Summary: Yeast and molds are fungi. A fungus is a colorless (i.e., lacking chlorophyll) plant
with practically no differentiation of cell structure. Yeasts are small single-celled forms that
reproduce by budding or spore formation. Molds produce spores for both asexual and sexual
reproduction. Yeast and mold analysis is typically done on air-borne samples and surface
wipes.