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How to test the water? Chemical test for limited budgets

News2020-12-21

We must be grateful to the modern-day chemistry that we are now capable of testing water even at very low concentrations. Testing water allows us not only to know about the impurities in water but also helps in knowing what minerals can be added to improve the quality of water. There are ever listing several tests which may seem overwhelming and many require laboratory facility.

Fortunately, you do not need to conduct a big test for everything. There are several cheaper tests which will let you know about the particular contents if you are testing for them.

Test formats

Generally, these low-level tests fall into three categories

Test Strips

It is similar to litmus paper. A test where a single strip is used which changes colour on the presence of the particular element. The colour indicates the concentration of a specific chemical. There are colour charts available to help you in knowing which chemical does the water contain.

Colour disk kits

Colour disk test is for a wide range of chemicals. The user adds a few drops of reagent liquid or powder to the testing sample and waits for the sample to change colour. The colour is them matched with the colour on the colour disk to know the concentration of the sample. Colour disk tests have longer waiting time and include multiple steps due to which they are costly but more accurate.

Digital Instruments

There are several lightweight portable Digi meters, colourimeters and photometers available for water testing. Reliable wastewater testing mechanism can be done through digital meters. They provide the most accurate test results out of the three option but are also more costly. These instruments require a battery and proper calibration, while they could be a good deal for a field technician, they may not be a suitable option for an individual.

Chemical water quality parameters

With various parameters, the next question to answer is, what do we test for? How can we test for different elements?

Fluoride

One-colour disk test is available for fluoride

Arsenic

Portable tests are limited for arsenic, it requires proper laboratory testing

Nitrate

Both colour disk and strip testing method are available for nitrate.

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