Introduction:

The term solids is generally used when referring to any material suspended or
dissolved in wastewater or water that can be physically isolated either through
filtration or through evaporation.
Solids can be classified as either filterable or non filterable. Filterable solids may
either be settleable or non settleable. Solids can also be classified as organic or
inorganic. Dissolved solids mostly consist of calcium, chlorides, nitrate, phosphorus,
iron, sulfur, and other ions particles that able to pass through a filter with pores of
around 0.4 m in size. Suspended solids include silt and clay particles, plankton,
algae, fine organic debris, and other particulate matter. These are particles would not
be able pass through a 0.4 m filter.
Total solids is the term applied to the material residue left in the crucible after
evaporation of a sample and its subsequent drying in an oven at a defined
temperature. Thus, total solids are nothing but summation of total dissolved solids
and total suspended solids.
Solids analyses are important in the control of biological and physical wastewater
treatment processes and for assessing compliance with regulatory agency
wastewater effluent limitations.
The amount of solids in wastewater is frequently used to describe the strength of the
water. The more solids present in a particular wastewater, the stronger that
wastewater will be. The environmental impacts of solids in all forms have detrimental
effects on quality since they cause putrefaction problems.
If the solids in wastewater are mostly organic, the impact on a treatment plant is
greater than if the solids are mostly inorganic.




Objectives:
1. To determine concentration of total solids in wastewater sample.
2. To measure the effectiveness of a wastewater treatment plant by comparing
the result for influent and effluent.

Principle:
A well-mixed sample is evaporated in a weighed dish and dried to constant weight in
an oven at 103C to 105C. The increase in weight over that of the empty dish
represents the total solids. The result may not represent the weight of actual
dissolved and suspended solids in wastewater samples.

Procedures:
Name of method: Gravimetric Method
No. of standard method: EPA Method 160.3

1. The water sample is shaken thoroughly to homogenise it.
2. 10 mL of sample was pipetted into the weighed porcelain crucibles, which has
been cleaned and dried to a constant weight in an oven previously.
3. The water was evaporated off on a steam bath until dry and then it was dried
in an oven at 105C for one hour.
4. The porcelain crucible was cooled in a desiccator, before it was weighed.
Drying is repeated until constant weight is obtained.


Results:
Influent sample Effluent sample

I
1


I
2


E
1

E
2

E
3

E
4

E
5

B = weight of dry empty porcelain crucible dish, g

1
st
weight, g 30.7959 33.8411 34.2145 31.0945 28.9473 34.0648 30.4985
Average (before) 32.3185 31.7639

A = weight of porcelain dish + remaining solids, g

2
nd
weight, g 30.7993 33.8434 34.2156 31.1000 28.9493 34.0672 30.5010
3
rd
weight, g 30.7992 33.8439 34.2156 31.1002 28.9492 34.0672 30.5009
Average 30.7993 33.8437 34.2156 31.1001 28.9493 34.0672 30.5010
A B for each
reading, g
0.0034 0.0026 0.0011 0.0056 0.0020 0.0024 0.0025
Total solids for
each reading,
mg/L
340 260 110 560 200 240 250
Average (after) 32.3215 31.7666
A B for average
(before) and
average (after), g
0.0030 0.0027
Average total
solids, mg/L
300 272







Sample
Reading
Formula (i):
()

Where ;
A = weight of evaporating dish + remaining solids, g
B = weight of dry empty evaporating dish, g
C = volume of sample, mL


Sample Calculation:

( )

Formula (ii):
()

Where ;
I = influent total solids, g
E = effluent total solids, g


Sample Calculation:

()

Discussions:

Based on the result obtained, the average total solids for influent are 300 mg/L while
average total solids for effluent are 272 mg/L. By analysed the result obtained, it
shown that there is a reduction in total solids concentration where at influent it has
300 mg/L but at effluent it reduced to 272 mg/L. This reduction of total solids
indicates that the wastewater treatment plant able to remove total solids but not
really effective.

The result of total solids with 272 mg/L is acceptable because total solids is total
suspended solids plus total dissolved solids thats why the reading quite high since it
calculated for total TSS and TDS. Based on Malaysia Sewage and Industrial Effluent
Discharge Standards, the permissible limit for TSS is 100 mg/L for standard B which
is used for this effluent because it released to Sungai Klang. But for TS is not
mentioned in the standards, so the result can be considered as valid and acceptable.

The efficiency of treatment plant can be determined by average total solids of
influent minus with average total solids of effluent divide by average total solids of
influent and multiple with 100% which this formula derived from output divide by
input and times 100%. Based on the calculated efficiency, the efficiency of treatment
plant is 9.333%. This indicates that the effectiveness of this treatment plant is not
good because a good range of efficiency is lies between 80-100% efficiency. The
reason why the efficiency obtained is very low, because it only able to remove 28
mg/L of total solids from the influent.
Few steps should be taken in order to ensure the reliable of the result of data
obtained. For examples, wastewater samples which contain high concentrations of
calcium, chloride, magnesium or sulfate can rapidly absorb moisture from the air.
Such samples may need to be dried for a longer period of time, cooled under proper
desiccation and weighed rapidly in order to achieve a reasonable constant weight.
Excessive solids in the sample may leave a residue which may form a water trapping
crust. To guard against this problem, the selected sample volume should produce
no more than 200 mg of residue.

Conclusion:
The concentration of total solids for influent is 300 mg/L while for effluent is 272 mg/L
and the effectiveness of treatment plant to remove total solids is determined and
resulted with only 9.333% efficiency.

References:
1. http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/data/NEW/info/TDS.html
- Sheila Murphy (2007) suggested Total solids can be measured by
evaporating a water sample in a weighed dish, and then drying the residue
in an oven at 103 to 105 C. The increase in weight of the dish represents
the total solids.
- Total Solids includes both total suspended solids, the portion of total
solids retained by a filter (usually with a pore size of 0.45 micrometers),
and total dissolved solids, the portion that passes through a filter.
(American Public Health Association, 1998)
2. http://www.water-treatment.com.cn/resources/discharge-
standards/malaysia.htm
3. http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/vms58.cfm
- In the Environmental Protection Agency (2012) reported Total solids also
affect water clarity. Higher solids decrease the passage of light through
water
- Total solids are dissolved solids plus suspended and settleable solids in
water.. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012)
4. http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV149/solids.htm


Questions:
1. Name the various TS that can be found in wastewater.
- Organic Solids
These are substances which contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, some
of which may be combined with nitrogen, sulphur or phosphorous.
- Inorganic Solids
Inorganic solids are substances that are inert and not subject to decay. In
general, they are non-combustible.
- Suspended Solids
Suspended solids are those which are visible and in suspension in the
water. They are the solids which can be removed from the wastewater by
physical or mechanical means, such as sedimentation or filtration.
- Settleable Solids
Settleable solids are that portion of the suspended solids which are of
sufficient size and weight to settle in a given period of time, usually one
hour. Settleable solids are approximately 75 percent organic and 25
percent inorganic.
- Colloidal Suspended Solids
Colloidal suspended solids are solids that are not truly dissolved and yet
do not settle readily. These are somewhat loosely defined as the
differences between the total suspended solids and the settleable solids.

2. What are the environmental impacts of TS?
- Total solids can affect water clarity because when high solid contents in
water, it will decrease the passage of light through water, thereby slowing
more rapidly and hold more heat which in turn affecting aquatic plants and
life that has adapted to a lower temperature regime.
- When its related with turbidity, the concentration often to increase rapidly
during rainfall, especially in developed watersheds. Or even when its dry
weather, earth-disturbing activities are occurred in or near the stream
without erosion control.
- Total solids also related to the stream flow and velocity of water. Any
changes in total solids concentration, it must be measured the flow of
water as well.

3. Explain effect of total solids on wastewater treatment plant.
- When the concentration of total solids on wastewater treatment plant is too
high, it will affect water turbidity where causes the sunlight unable to
penetrate through and water become cloudy. If total solids were too
abundance in a treatment plant, it will clump together and create a mass
where it can clog channels, pipes or damage the pump. Since TS covered
for filterable, non-filterable, setteable and non-settleable solids, it can
damage and reduce the efficiency of treatment plant if its presence in high
concentration due to silting problems.

4. List four possible sources of error in this determination.
1. The temperature at which the sample is dried, as well as the time
period used for the drying can affect the results of solids
determinations. Weight losses due to volatilization of organic material,
entrapped water, water of hydration and gases produced by chemical
decomposition during heating, and weight gains due to oxidation, are
dependent on temperature and time of heating.
2. Results for samples with high oil or grease content may be
questionable due to the difficulty of drying to constant weight in a
reasonable time.
3. Sampling for settleable and filterable solids is difficult due to the
tendency of the solids to settle out while collecting and/or splitting a
sample.
4. Desiccator was not kept greased with appropriate type of lubricant in
order to seal the desiccator which may allow moisture from entering the
desiccator as the test glassware cools.