TDS Overview
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measures the sum of all inorganic and organic substances dissolved in the process. The solids must be small enough to survive filtration through a sieve but not so small that they are ionized or colloidal. They need to stay suspended! TDS sensors measure both soluble compounds such as salts and minerals and insoluble particles like dirt.
Monitoring the TDS to determine the quality and purity of the process is an essential consideration for companies looking to measure TDS in applications such as; cooling tower blowdown, boiler blowdown, or incoming raw water. These tools can analyze how much salt content exists in any given sample, which can then be used to trigger an alarm before scale starts building up. This can cause heat transfer efficiency issues as well as costly repairs and downtime.
Sources of High TDS
TDS are typically found in all freshwater systems. TDS is created when water comes into contact with the earth’s minerals. Some examples of this include; agricultural run-off that occurs during and after heavy rainfalls, snowmelt, leaching of soil contamination where fertilizers have been dumped on top of crops year after year without tilling deep enough to go below the surface root zone (the area just beneath plant root zones).
Boilers are another common source for TDS. Along with producing water, boilers also release bubbles of steam. Some solids may remain in the boiler, these substances can accumulate to form scales inside which can lead to costly repairs if it’s not treated on time!
When these substances build up over time, they can eventually cause problems throughout the system, including blackening metal surfaces like radiators and pipes. Investing in a TDS conductivity meter to monitor the TDS levels and trigger alarms in order to minimize any damage could end up saving a lot of valuable time and money.
Meeting Environmental Standards Through pH and TDS monitoring
The U.S. and Canada have a secondary standard set at 500 mg/L TDS (measured using TDS analyzers) or less for drinking water as an easy way to make sure levels stay low, but not so infrequently that people become immune and stop noticing its taste.
A carefully monitored water quality environment is essential to successful aquaculture. For freshwater oysters, trout, and other high-value seafood, the most productive economic returns are achieved by mimicking the TDS levels in their native waters — this includes both fresh and or saltwater environments.
