Why is it Important to Test the Quality of Drinking Water?
There are many sources of water in nature, but human activity significantly affects its quality. Technological progress causes irreparable damage to the environment, so not only water bodies, but also groundwater are often unsuitable for use. The composition of the water depends on the geographical location of the source, the depth of groundwater. To determine whether this water is suitable for drinking, it is necessary to conduct its chemical analysis.
When and for what purpose, the laboratory analysis of water is carried Out? Various chemical elements are perfectly soluble in water, so it is impossible to find perfectly clean water. But it is fundamentally important which substances are included in the composition and in what quantity. Studies show that water from most natural sources is unusable without prior purification. Based on the content of chemicals, bacterial contamination and physical properties, the optimal cleaning method is selected. For drinking water, properties such as taste, smell, and colour are also important. These parameters should not be strongly expressed and attract attention. If the water is cloudy, has an unpleasant taste or a strong odour, it is necessary to take it for analysis. This is done by the sanitary and epidemiological service and drinking water testing laboratories that have accreditation. After the analysis, the actual parameters are compared with the standards specified in the sanitary standards; the specialist at drinking water testing lab makes a conclusion about the possibility of drinking water. If an excess of the level of content of certain substances is detected, additional cleaning is needed. When installing an autonomous water supply, it is necessary to regularly monitor the quality of water. Three groups of water quality indicators can be distinguished: physical; chemical; bacteriological. 1. Physical parameters include such indicators as temperature, turbidity, colour, smell, taste of water. 2. One of the important chemical indicators of water quality is the fluoride content in it. Another indicator of quality is the concentration of iron. Excess gives water an unpleasant red-brown or black colour, worsens its taste, causes the development of iron bacteria, sediment deposition in pipelines and their clogging. 3. The degree of bacteriological contamination of water is determined by the number of bacteria contained in 1 cubic cm of water. The water of surface sources contains bacteria introduced by sewage and rainwater, animals, etc. The water of underground artesian sources is usually not contaminated with bacteria.
Methods to Perform Water Testing: 1. Test Strips: These water-testing strips change colour to display the presence of chemical concentration in sample water.
2. Colour disk Kits: They are advance versions of test strips as colour disk kits detect wide range of chemicals present in the water sample. 3. Hand held digital meters: These portable devices are taken into use to check presence of different chemical components in the water. Although, these drink water test methods are considered preliminary checks as, their accuracy rate is non-comparable to professional analysis done in laboratories. 4. Laboratory testing kits: It is one of the most effective ways to identify various water issues. All you need is to order the sampling kit, send it to nearby lab and get the results online without any hassle. The problem of the quality of water we consume is now becoming more acute. That is why various types of water analysis are in high demand, including those that can be carried out independently. For these purposes, the market today offers a fairly wide range of devices and kits for performing express analyses. Read on to know more about drink water test methods! SMS Labs Services Pvt. Ltd. is one of the reputed names in the water testing and inspection services. The company is established in 2012 and offer testing, training, advisory and training services in the field of environment, food, water and materials with state f art facilities. Contact them today to hire their services!