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Water Quality Monitoring Involves Measuring Different Elements of Water
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Posted On :
Dec-15-2010
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Article Word Count :
412
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Water is an essential element to life and not only do people depend on it, but so do other animals and plants. All water is part of a recycled system which goes through a circular pattern from evaporation, to condensation, and then precipitation. This means water is in a continuous pattern and is reused and recycled.
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Water infiltrates into the ground after precipitation and as part of surface runoff, the water enters several aquifer systems. These systems often have wells dug into them to provide water to towns and cities. It is important that the water coming from these wells has acceptable levels of water quality for people to drink or use. Water quality monitoring is essential because of all the pollution that comes with the surface water runoff and its subsequent infiltration into the aquifer.
Water quality monitoring is measured in four basic ways although some water quality companies may use different measurements. One form of measurement used to assess the quality of the water is the temperature. The temperature can tell a lot about the quality of the water. Warmer waters have a higher chance of having more dissolved solids, such as salt and sugar. On the other hand, it will have fewer dissolved gases, such as oxygen. Since there is less oxygen, plants and algae tend to grow in warmer waters. Colder waters have the opposite effect and have more fish and insect larvae.
Dissolved oxygen is also measured as part of the water quality monitoring process. Water with high levels of dissolved oxygen tends to be healthier forms of water. It also has a more plentiful supply of fish because it has higher levels of oxygen which fish need to breathe.
Another part of water quality monitoring includes the measurement of the water’s pH level. The pH level refers to the acidity of water. Water which is too acidic can be harmful to a person. This can be seen in the example of getting lemon juice in a person’s eye or a cut. Water which has low pH levels is acidic and water which has higher levels is considered a base. Strong bases also burn a person’s skin. Water should be neutral and neither too low or too high.
The clarity of water is often referred to turbidity and is important because it signifies the amount of light that gets into the water. When light is blocked, fish, plants, and dissolved oxygen are all reduced.
Water quality monitoring is completed by these four basic measurements, but some companies may use other specialized techniques.
About the Author: Confluence Environmental is a field services provider committed to providing the highest level of water quality sampling, monitoring and remediation services at competitive prices. Please visit contact us for more details.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Water Quality Monitoring Involves Measuring Different Elements of Water_45114.aspx
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Author Resource :
Innovative groundwater monitoring, sampling & remediation services at Confluence Environmental.
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Keywords :
groundwater monitoring remediation, groundwater sampling, groundwater monitoring, monitoring wells, well remediation, water s,
Category :
Business
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Business
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