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Turbidity |
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Turbidity, or water clarity,
is a measure of how much of the light traveling through water is scattered by
suspended particles. Any material
mixed and suspended in water will reduce its clarity and make the water turbid. Such
materials can come from various sources, both natural and anthropogenic. High turbidity levels can be disruptive to aquatic systems in various
ways including: (1) interfering with the passage of light through water
(resulting in reduced photosynthetic activity), (2) clogging the gills of some
fish species, (3) causing an increase in water temperature since suspended
particles absorb more heat (resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen since
warmer water holds less oxygen), and (4) smothering fish eggs and benthic
macroinvertebrates. We perform a comparative
turbidity test in which monitors evaluate the fuzziness of a mark at the bottom
of a clear tube filled with a water sample and relate it to another clear tube
with a known amount of turbidity reagent. Findings
are reported in Jackson Turbidity Units (JTU). This is a useful and cost-effective screening method since JTU’s are
related to Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU’s) for which DEC has water
quality standards.
(Source: http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/data/BACT/info/index.html, http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/stream/)
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