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Analysis on Five Methods to Determine Salinity

Jackie Poglodek
Abstract
Salinity is a vital component to Barnegat Bay and all bodies of water. It
is measured in parts per thousand, and is the amount of dissolved solids in a
sample of water. Specifically, salinity measures the concentration of NaCl
particles in a specific body of water. On December 12, 2014, students from
MATES tested salinity using five separate methods for one sample of water.
The most accurate test involved the YSI 556 to determine conductivity, while
the least accurate test included the Knudsen Titration. The remaining three tests
used a refractometer, a hydrometer, and evaporation. Although it is known
which tests are more accurate than others, the data collected during this study
shows no significant difference of any salinity determination method.
Introduction
Salinity is a major component within Barnegat Bay. It is generally referred to as the
amount of dissolved solids within a body of water; however, the traditional definition is the
total amount of dissolved solids per thousand by weight when all the carbonate is converted to
oxide, the bromide and iodide are converted to chloride, and organic matter is oxidized (Nichols
& Williams, 2014). Salinity is dependent on the concentrations of the major ions in the specific
water sample. Salinity is exceptionally variable near the shore (Walker & Wood, 2014). Salinity
is measured in parts per thousand, which is a standard measurement. Methods of desalination
include reverse osmosis, evaporation, and electro dialysis. There are several methods to
determining salinity, for it is a critical parameter in water quality analysis. Using a conductivity
meter and direct conversion can be considered the most accurate method, for salinity is a
function of electrical conductivity (Nichols & Williams, 2014). Other methods to test salinity are
through evaporation, or using a meter, such as a hydrometer or refractometer. Finally, the
determination of salinity can be assisted with a Knudsen Titration. However, this is arguably the
least precise method due to error. The reagents can be outdated or there could simply be student
error throughout the titration. This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of each of five
methods to determine salinity.

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Methods
Study Site:
On December 12, 2014, MATES students in Dr. Wneks second block Oceanography
class conducted a lab involving five methods to determine salinity. The sample was a premade
water sample, and was constant for each of the five groups. All experiments were conducted at
the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science.

Procedure:
Each group conducted five different salinity tests on their own sample. The YSI 556
(Figure 3) was used to determine conductance and salinity values. The hydrometer (Figure 4)
was used to determine specific gravity, and in turn, salinity. Two different refractometers (Figure
5) were tilted and viewed against a light source to read the angle of refraction, corresponding to
the samples salinity. While using the evaporation method, students measured all necessary
equipment and then placed the crucible, filled with sample water, on a hot plate (Figure 2). After
all water evaporated, the crucible was measured again to determine the amount of dissolved
solids in the water. Finally, students followed directions while conducting the Knudsen Titration
(Figure 1) to determine a salinity value. All methods were completed thoroughly by each group.

Statistical Analysis:
An ANOVA single factor test was used to determine the similarity amongst the methods
of salinity determination. Additionally, the least and most accurate methods will be compared
using a t-test to determine their statistical differences. An alpha value of 0.05 or less was used to
test for significance.

Results
When every salinity reading was compared, the p-value was 0.294, displaying the data as
not significant. Salinity readings ranged from 26 ppt to 43.7 ppt across the table. When the
Knudsen Titration readings were compared using a t-test to the YSI readings, the p-value was
0.251, showing insignificant data (Figure 6). The r-squared value for that comparison was
0.3125, which does not show a strong correlation between the two methods.

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Discussion
The ANOVA test for salinity amongst all five methods was not significant, but this can
be explained because the water sample was held under constant temperature throughout the lab.
For instance, the greatest difference in salinity for a single method was 15.52 ppt. This difference
in salinity was caused by an outlier, but otherwise the values collected were reasonably in a 10
ppt range. The highest expected differences were still very similar (Figure 6). Density is affected
by both temperature and salinity (Walker & Wood, 2014). The densities of each groups sample
should remain constant as well. As the density of the water increases, so would its salinity
(Walker & Wood, 2014). This correlation can explain the close range of each salinity value for
the same sample. Likewise, temperature influences density, for as temperature increases,
water expands and takes up more space (Walker & Wood, 2014). In relation to freezing point,
salinity decreases the temperature at which water is most dense (Nichols & Williams, 2014).
Salinity varies throughout the water column, but because this sample was taken at just one depth,
it is logical for the values to remain similar.

Conclusion
The five methods used to determine salinity on December 12, 2014 were: hydrometer,
conductivity meter, Knudsen Titration, evaporation, and refractometer. There was no significant
difference between any of the tests, displaying that each one holds a sense of accuracy.

Acknowledgements
Thanks go out to Dr. Wnek for getting us the water to access during the lab. Also, thank
you to the second block class for gathering the data used in this analysis. Thanks to Lucy Kosty
for allowing the use of several of her pictures. Finally, thanks to MATES for granting the
students access to the necessary lab equipment.

References
Nichols, C. R. & Williams, R. G. Ocean salinity. In Science online.
Walker, P. & Wood, E. Physical aspects of the coast: Coastal waters, waves, and substrates. In
Science online.

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Figure 1. The Knudsen Titration

involves a series of steps in order to
get the final salinity reading.

Figure 3. The YSI 556 was used to

easily and accurately determine
salinity and conductivity.

Figure 2. The evaporation method is

the slowest and involves the most
calculations; however, it is an
extremely effective method.

Figure 4. The hydrometer, measuring

specific gravity, and the thermometer,
measuring temperature, help to
determine salinity.

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Figure 5. The refractometer used to measure

salinity in parts per thousand, according to the
visible angle of refraction.

Salinity Methods: Accuracy Differences

29.26

Conductivity Meter (ppt)

29.24

R = 0.3125
p-value = 0.251

29.22
29.2
29.18
29.16
29.14
29.12
25.5

26

26.5

27

27.5

28

28.5

29

29.5

30

30.5

Knudsen Titration (ppt)

Figure 6. The most accurate test was with the conductivity meter, and the
least accurate test was with the Knudsen Titration; however, there was no
significant difference when they were compared. The p-value was 0.251
and the r-squared value was 0.3125, showing a weak correlation.

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