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How Is Drinking Water Quality Measured Easily At Your Home?

Water is the source of life. Basically, the water quality measured has divided into two groups, namely the quality of drinking water and quality for feasible waste, such as waste that already processed and eligible to be discharged into water bodies.

The quantity and quality of water used by humans every day plays an important role in order to support or improve the health of human beings.

Every day, people need to consume water at approximately 3% times their weight, this is equivalent to the fluid secreted by the body itself, for example in urination, defecation, sweating and or other disposal systems.

By relying on our human senses, clean water is essentially colorless, odorless and tasteless. However, the human senses also have limits on their own abilities, therefore the identification of water quality using a more modern way is absolutely necessary in certain cases.


how_is_drinking_water_quality_measured_easily_at_your_home
Water is the source of life


Drinkable water in general is clean and healthy water, which when consumed will not cause disease, either directly or cause bad effects in the future. In science, this water meets the quality standards of physical, chemical, including freedom from toxic elements, pathogenic bacteria or radioactive elements.

Why water quality becomes very important?


Water is a universal solvent. He can dissolve anything as long as he could, including a wide range of chemicals.

Chemical compounds are dissolved in water, whether it be organic compounds such as organic acid, ammonia, phenol, or inorganic such as iron, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, zinc, chromium, cadmium, mercury, lead, copper and other heavy metals can affect health when it exceeds the threshold of water quality that has been defined in the standard by the authorities.

While some contaminants are not soluble in water such as fats and oils and others chemicals compound, in fact its also can make the water unfit for consumption.

How about pathogenic bacteria? Of course, the type of harmful bacteria such as E. Coli and others should not be present in drinking water.

Many compounds and heavy metals as a result of environmental pollution which may contaminate into drinking water and can lead to cancer, such as benzene and its compounds, dioxins, carbon tetrachloride, tri-chloro-ethylene, acrylamide, alachlor, di-chloromethane, asbestos, antimony and so on.


Qualitative Analysis To Check Basic Water Quality


The problem is you may find it difficult to find out the quality water everyday encountered if you need to do the analysis in the laboratory.

In addition to high costs, you also should follow the way of the sampling techniques and the correct procedures, and its not easy if you don't know about good sampling technique.

The tips below are some parameters and a simple way to determine the quality of water that we use ordinary everyday at home. Your senses philosophically also functions as "control devices" and analysis. In essence, a decent water characterized by odorless, tasteless (bitter, sour, salty, etc.) and colorless.

The physical properties such as color and turbidity of water in high scale can be seen directly. The smell can be inhaled with your nose. The taste can be easily perceived by the tongue, as well as temperature with a touch of your skin.

1. Physical Analysis


Tests on the degree of odor, turbidity and color can be done by the method of dilution using clean water or distilled water. If you mix the samples of water and stirred with clean water or distilled water using a ratio of 1: 1 and if the result of this mixture looks to be odorless, not turbid and colorless, then this water can be categorized as water that has a low degree of odor, turbidity and color parameter.

However, if after using a ratio of 1: 3, the water shows the results odorless, turbid and colored, this means that the water has a medium degree of odor, turbidity and color parameter.

Well, if it requires more than a ratio of 1: 3, then the the water feels and looks odorless, turbid or colorless then this indicates a high degree, and the water is unfit for use especially as drinking water.

Calcium can be detected by heating the the water using a pan. If after heating you see the white material, and when the water is cold, then you see the bottom of the pan has crusted, this indicates a high level of calcium in the water or if the base of the inner pan turn into blackish, the water is likely acidic (low pH value).

2. Chemical Analysis


Half a glass of water that will be tested is mixed with tea water with the same volume. Then let the mixture stand in an open condition for a few hours, and then make observations.

If there is a striking color change, and there are slimy layers like oil, this implies that the water contains high levels of heavy metals, especially if the color is black, purple or dark blue. Obviously, the water that have signs like that should not be directly consumed as clean water and drinking water because it is very dangerous.

Well, if the mixture remains clear or normal, it indicates that the water is fit for use.

3. Microbiological analysis


Pour the water sample into a glass, then close tightly. Let stand for five days, and then make observations. If you notice discoloration or white, black, or green agglomerates , then this indicates a high number of bacterial colonies. And improperly used directly as drinking water.

Decent water for use will remain clear, even if stored over many days, as long as not contaminated by other substances.

These three simple methods above is only qualitative, because it can not be converted into the form of measurable numbers. To find out the values of these parameters, it is necessary to quantitative analysis, and only after that you can compare the results, whether the results are in accordance with standard reference or not.

Of course, only the results of laboratory tests that can describe it in detail, and when it's necessary you better send samples of the water you use every day to the lab. I hope this article about How Is Drinking Water Quality Measured Easily At Your Home? can give you useful information.

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