Total Dissolved Solids in Water Definition

Testing your water using a TDS meter is the simplest way to measure for total dissolved solids. For example, if a TDS meter says 100 ppm, that means that from one million particles, 100 are dissolved ions and 999,900 are water molecules. This would be considered a low TDS level.

Total dissolved solids (TDS) are determined by simply evaporating a filtered quantity of water at low temperatures. The dried residue contains both inorganic and organic materials. Ignition of this residue at high temperatures eliminates the volatile substances usually organic in nature and decomposes bicarbonates with the loss of carbon dioxide.

The residue following ignition therefore contains the total dissolved inorganic solids. The difference between it and the original residue being termed the loss on ignition. The amount of residue in each operation and the loss on ignition is expressed as a proportion of the original water sample in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/L).

Next Topics about Total Dissolved Solids…
Total Dissolved Solids Ranges in Water
Significance of Total Dissolved Solids in Water
Total Dissolved Solids Significance to Fish and Aquatic Life

Chemical Water Quality Parameters
Electrical Conductivity of Water
pH of Water
Relation of Acidity and Alkalinity in Water
Primary Anions and Cations in Water
Dissolved Gasses in Water
Primary Nutrients in Water and Eutrophication
Toxic Constituents in Water
Pesticides in Water
Oil in Water

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