VPE 511: Environment and Environmental Hygiene (2+1)

Introduction

CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF WATER

• The complete chemical examination of water in respect of its suitability or otherwise for drinking and for ordinary domestic uses normally includes determination of total solids, pH, hardness , free and albumoinoid ammonia, nitrate , nitrite, chlorides, and action on metals.
• It may also be necessary to examine waters for unusual constituents such as lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, iron, aluminium, magnesium, fluorides and cyanides, whose presence may be suspected from a consideration of the source of supply or from a history of toxic symptoms arising in man or animals drinking the water.
• Whilist the chemical examination and the interpretation of the results falls strictly within the province of the experienced analyst, some knowledge of the procedures involved will greatly aid the veterinary surgeon in appreciating the significance of the analytical findings.
• Total Solids
• pH value
• Hardness
• Chlorides
• The Nitrogen Constituents
• Reducing Powder or "Oxygen Absorbed"