FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

B. Sc. (Hons.) ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY

EVT 577 : WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY

LAB NO

: 1

TITLE

: TOTAL SOLIDS(TS), TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLID(TSS)

AND VOLATILE SUSPENDED SOLIDS(VSS)

GROUP

: AS2294A

GRADER

: NURUL NADIAH MOHD FIRDAUS

DATE OF
EXPERIMENT

: 17 MARCH 2016

NAME / STUDENT ID :

1) MUHAMAD FADZRIL BIN AFINDI

2014860708
2) FAIZAL BIN ALIAS
2014225942
3) MOHD FAHMI BIN MOHD YUSOF
2014415098

INTRODUCTION
From the experiment, solids are categorized into several groups based on
particle size and characterization. Most wastewaters are analyzed for one
or several of the following types.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS)
Total Solids (TS)
Analysis of solids in domestic wastewaters allow system operators to
determine treatment efficiency as well as determining compliance with
various regulatory agencies.
TSS are the amount of filterable solids in a water sample. Samples are
filtered through a glass fiber filter. The filters are dried and weighed to
determine the amount of total suspended solids in mg/l of sample.
Volatile solids are those solids lost on ignition (heating to 550 degrees C.)
They are useful to the treatment plant operator because they give a rough
approximation of the amount of organic matter present in the solid fraction
of wastewater, activated sludge and industrial wastes.
TS are the total of all solids in a water sample. They include the total
suspended solids, total dissolved solids, and volatile suspended solids.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the Total Solids (TS), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), and
Volatile Suspended Solid (VSS) in a water sample.
METHOD
1) TOTAL SOLID ( TS )
1) The wastewater sample was shaken vigorously and was poured it in the
beaker. The samples was stirred with magnetic stir in the beaker. The
empty crucible was weighed.
2) 10 ml of sample was pipetted into the crucible, which has been dried to
a constant weight in the oven previously.
3) The water was evaporated off on steam bath until dry and then was
dried in an oven at 105 for 1 hour.
4) The crucible was cooled in desiccator (10 minutes), before it was
weighing.

2) TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLID ( TSS )

1) The filter disk in the oven was dried at 103

to 105

for 1 hour.

Then it was cooled in desiccator and weighed.

2) All wastewater sample was poured in a big beaker and was stirred on
magnetic stirrer.
3) 50 ml of sample was pipetted onto centre of disk in Buchner flask using
gentle suction.
4) The dried filter paper was hold by using tweezers or tongs. Then was
filtered with wrinkle surface upward.
5) The disk was carefully wash carefully with 3 times 10 ml of deionised
water. The disk was dried at 103 to 105 for 1 hour and was
cooled in desiccator before it was weighed.

3) VOLATILE SUSPENDED SOLID (VSS)

1) The SS from TSS was wrapped with aluminium foil and it was ignited at
550 degree in the muffle furnace for half an hour.
2) It was cooled in a desiccator and it was weighed. It was repeated till a
constant weight was obtained.

RESULTS
1. Total Solids(TS)
Initial Weight(g)
31.8711

Final Weight(g)
31.8748

2. Total Suspended Solids(TSS)

Initial Weight(g)
0.3031
3. Volatile Suspended Solids(VSS)

Final Weight(g)
0.3218

Initial Weight(g)
0.3218

CALCULATIONS
Total Solids (TS)

Total Solids =

AB
6
10
C

Where: A : Weight of crucible + remaining solids, g

B : Weight of empty crucible, g
C : Volume of Sample used, mL
31.874831.8711
106
10
= 370 mg/L

Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

TSS = TS TDS
TSS = FIXED SOLID + VS
Total Suspended Solids =

AB
10 6
C

Where: A : Weight of disk + solid, g

B : Weight of empty disk, g
C : Volume of Sample used, mL

Final Weight(g)
0.3133

0.32180.3031
6
10
10
= 1870 mg/L

Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS)

Volatile Suspended Solids =

AB
10 6
C

Where: A : Weight of filter disk + solids before ignition, g

B : Weight of empty filter disk + solids after ignition, g
C : Volume of Sample, mL
0.32180.3133
6
10
10
= 850 mg/L

DISCUSSIONS
From this experiment we obtained, the total suspended value is 370
mg/l where the range value is accepted. There might be an error during
conduct of this experiment. While, for the value of Total Suspended Solids
is 1870 mg/L. Based on the result, the TSS value is not in the accepted
range, but the result did not follow the theoretical value where TS>TSS
which is the value of Total Solids is greater than Total Suspended Solids.
The TSS value is not in the accepted range, this is because of several
errors occurred while doing this experiment. One such example of this
error is when water sample taken are not fully mix and homogenized and
the unstable temperature of an oven will affect the result. The samples
cannot dry completely as the temperature of an oven is not contant due to
the oven are being used with another group. The Buchner flask also
contribute to this error such as the sample poured may not fully obtained
as the sample may not rinsed properly during suction and caused the
amount of the solid become less and the result may be not accurate.
Volatile Suspended Solids value obtained is 850 mg/L. Based on

experiment, only TS value is accepted which is in the range. Although our

TSS and VSS value is not in the accepted range, but the result did not
follow the theoretical value TS>TSS>VSS which is the value of Total Solids
is greater than Total Suspended Solids followed by Volatile Suspended
Solids and the result of Volatile Suspended Solids are not in the accepted
range due to some errors. Based on the Environmental Quality Act, EQA
1974 the value of TS, TSS and VSS we obtained are greater than 100.

CONCLUSIONS
The value of Total Solid, Total Suspended Solid and Volatile Suspended
Solid has been determined to be 370 mg/L, 1870 mg/L and 850 mg/L
respectively. As the result obtained are exceeded 100 mg/l from the EQA,
thus the result of the sample are used to be polluted and contain high of
total suspended solids.

REFERENCES
1. http://www.bfhd.wa.gov/info/tss.php
2. http://www.water-chemistry.in/2009/12/relationship-between-ts-tssand-tds/
3. http://www.ebsbiowizard.com/2011/01/total-suspended-solids-tssvolatile-suspended-solids-vss-2/