- Suspended solids
Suspended solids refers to small solid particles which remain in suspension in water as a
colloid or due to the motion of the water. It is used as one indicator ofwater quality .It is sometimes abbreviated SS, but is not to be confused with settleable solids, also abbreviated SS, which contribute to the blocking of
sewer pipes.Explanation
Suspended solids are important as
pollutant s andpathogen s are carried on the surface of particles. The smaller the particle size, the greater the surface area per unit mass of particle, and so the greater the pollutant load that is likely to be carried.Removal
Removal of suspended solids is generally achieved through the use of sedimentation and/or
water filter s (usually at a municipal level).By eliminating most of the suspended solids in a water supply, the significant water is usually rendered close to drinking quality. This is followed by disinfection to ensure that any free floating pathogens, or pathogens associated with the small remaining amount of suspended solids, are rendered ineffective.Effectiveness of filtering
The use of a very simple
cloth filter , consisting of a folded cottonsari , drastically reduces the load ofcholera carried in the water, and is suitable for use by the very poor; in this case, anappropriate technology method of disinfection might be added, such assolar water disinfection .A major exception to this generalization is
arsenic contamination of groundwater , asarsenic is a very serious pollutant which is soluble, and thus not removed when suspended solids are removed. This makes it very difficult to remove, and finding an alternative water source is often the most realistic option.ee also
*
Total suspended solids
*Turbidity
*Bottom Trawling
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