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Total Dissolved Solids

What are total dissolved solids?

Dissolved solids are just what it sounds like. Dissolved solids are different minerals dissolved in water. They aren't
one specific component, but a mix of different components. The minerals that are most often dissolved solids are
calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates.

Dissolved solids are not necessary for life, they are just a mixture of different compounds. However, the mineral
content of water needs to stay constant for aquatic animals to survive, so it is also bad for the Total Dissolved
solids content in water to fluctuate.

Dissolved solids are also connected to a number of other compounds, which can be water contaminates as well.
First of all, 'total dissolved solids' connect to 'Hardness'. Hardness is measure of the mineral content of water. So,
the more dissolved solids in the water, the higher the hardness.

Another element that 'total dissolved solids' connect to is the 'Turbidity' of the water. Turbidity is a measure of how
clear the water is. Unlike 'hardness', the greater the total dissolved solids' content is, the lower the turbidity of the
water.

Where do they come from?

Total dissolved solids, also known as TDS, come from a variety of places. Sometimes rock bits are
dissolved into water, others come from run-off rain water, leaves, silt, or plankton. Chemicals from
sewage treatment, pesticides, and road salts, and/or fertilizers, can also be dissolved in water, and
contaminate both drinking supplies and bodies of water.

Why should you care?

Well, the level of total dissolved solids in drinking water affects the taste of the
water. Higher levels of TDS can make water taste bitter, salty or brackish.

However, levels of total dissolves solids affect animals much more than humans. In
bodies of water, like rivers, higher levels of total dissolved solids often harm aquatic
species. The TDS changes the mineral content of the water, which is important to
survival of many animals. Also, dissolved salt can dehydrate the skin of aquatic
animals, which can be fatal. It can increase then temperature of the water, which
many animals can't survive in.

Are there dissolved solids in the Hudson River?!?

Are there Total dissolved solids in the Hudson river ?

In our science class we all tested for different components in the Hudson River. We wanted to see if the water safe
for life, and we tested a Hudson river water sample for it's level of total dissolved solids.

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Results
Through our water test, we determined that the the Hudson River has a Total Dissolved Solids level of 300ppm

What does it allmean?

Success!!! The content of total dissolved solids in the Hudson river is drinkable, not that you would. A level of 25-
250 is normal for drinking water, and any level below 500 is drinkable. So, while the level of 300 is slightly higher
than normal, it is safe to drink.

Even though the Hudson river water is safe to drink, because the TDS level is slightly high, it may have a bitter
taste. On the other hand, if the TDS level was lower than normal, the water could have a flat taste.

High TDS levels can cause the water to have somewhat of a laxative effect to the water, and harm aquatic life.

If we had done a number of other tests involving TDS, we could have discover the specific compounds in the water.
If the water had Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Calcium, it might have elevated levels of hardness, scale,
formation, and a bitter taste. If it had Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride it might have a salty or brackish
taste, and increased corrosivity.

But otherwise, the TDS content of the Hudson River does not effect whether or not it is safe to drink, only its taste.

So, what can you do?

Well, since many dissolved solids come from sewage, the plumbing, salts used for de-icing, anti-
skid materials, and other man-made things. One way to reduce the levels of TDS in your drinking
water, in general, is to reduce your use of chemicals and inorganic salts that might eventually end
up in your drinking wate r

Bibliography:

http://www.leo.lehigh.edu/envirosci/watershed/wq/wqbackground/tdsbg.html

http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/blgif6.htm

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