HARDNESS AND

TURBIDITY
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING LAB
GROUP-E
SANDEEP KUMAR SHARMA
MANAB DAS
SAI PRAKASH
SUSMITA ROY
SHAIK DANKSHAVALI
 TYPES OF HARDNESS

Temporary hardness: due to presence of

bicarbonates and carbonate of calcium
and magnesium; can be Removed by
boiling.
Permanent hardness: due to presence of
chlorides and sulphates of calcium and
Magnesium; cannot be removed by
boiling; removed by softening agents.
 DETERMINATION OF HARDNESS OF WATER

 Soap Solution Method

Hard water does not produce lather until
all the ions causing hardness have
precipitated.

 Complexometric Ttration Method:

EDTA reacts with calcium and magnesium
ions which cause hardness and forms
complex compounds.
COMPLEXOMETRIC TITRATION METHOD USING
EDTA
COMPLEXOMETRIC TITRATION METHOD USING
EDTA
 When indicator is added to hard water it combines
with free metal ions present in water.
 HIn-2 + M+2 → MIn- + H+ {M
= Mg or Ca}
(Wine red)
 When EDTA solution is added to the titration flask
it combines with the free metal ions giving metal
EDTA complex, which is stable and colorless.
 H2Y2- + M+2 → MY-2 + 2H+
 When all the free metal ions are exhausted, next
drop of EDTA removes the metal ion engaged with
indicator and the original blue color is restored.
 H2Y2- + MIn+ → MY-2 + HIn+2 + H
 HARDNESS CALCULATION USING EDTA

 Normality of sample is calculated by titrating it against

-------(1)
EDTA.
 By applying normality equation:
 Nsample × V sample
= NEDTA × VEDTA
 Substitute Eq. (2) in Eq. (1)
………………….(2)
If molarity of EDTA solution is
given
100 ML OF WATER SAMPLE REQUIRED 13.5 ML OF 0.02 M EDTA. WHAT IS
THE TOTAL HARDNESS?
 THEORY
 Turbidity is the amount of cloudiness in the water. This
can vary from a river full of mud and silt where it would
be impossible to see through the water (high turbidity),
to a spring water which appears to be completely clear
(low turbidity).
 Turbidity can be caused by :

• silt, sand and mud ;

• bacteria and other germs ;
• chemical precipitates.
 Turbidity is an expression of the optical property that
causes light to be scattered and absorbed rather than
transmitted with no change in direction or flow level
through the sample.
 MEASURING
 Turbidity TURBIDITY
can be measured using either
an electronic turbidity meter or a
turbidity tube.
 Both methods have advantages and
disadvantages, as shown below. Turbidity
is usually
 measured in nephelometric turbidity
units (NTU) or Jackson turbidity units
(JTLJ),
 depending on the method used for
measurement. The two units are roughly
equal.
 TURBIDITY METER
There are many different types of electronic
turbidity meter available. Their advantages and
disadvantages are as follows :
Advantages
• very accurate, and especially useful for
measuring very low turbidities (less than 5NTU)
Disadvantages
• high cost
• need power supply (mains or battery)
• easily damaged
 Turbidity meters are devices that have a light source,
lens, and detector located 90° from the light source that
work together to measure the turbidity of a sample.
When a sample of is placed into the path between the
light source and detector, some of the particles in the
sample scatter the light in such a way that it reaches
the detector at 90°. The detector determines the
amount of light scattering and compares the reading
against standards on a calibration curve.
 Some meters incorporate another detector at 180° to
account for transmitted light. This can help with
samples that have high turbidity to correct for lost light
due to attenuation and backscatter (reflection).
Turbidity measurements at 90° and 180° are called the
ratio method. 
 PROCEDURE
 Calibrate the meter with standard
cuvettes.
 Fill a cuvette with your sample.
 Clean the outside of the cuvette and if
working with samples with very low
turbidity, use silicone oil on the outside of
the cuvette.
 Place the cuvette inside the meter and
take your reading.
 OBSERVATION
Sample Turbidity(NTU)

Sample 1 87

Sample 2 70

Sample 3 47

Rain water 6

Tap water 5

River water 14
 PROCEDURE
 To achieve clarification, the water is mixed with a
coagulant, such as alum. The soil and other particles
have a negative charge and repel each other, resulting
in dispersed fine particles. The addition of alum
neutralizes the suspended material so that the particles
gather together to make up larger particles, known as
‘floc.' The water is then passed through a sedimentation
basin, where filter media remove the floc.
 If the raw water is naturally less turbid (typically
groundwater) then the sedimentation process may be
shortened, saving time and money. After most of the
dissolved particles are removed, the water is passed
through a final filter that removes up to 99.5% of the
remaining suspended solids.