The total concentration of all the dissolved solids present in water comprises TDS (total dissolved solids). TDS includes small amounts of organic matter and certain inorganic salts.
It would help to understand that particles such as mud, dust, rust and dirt do not constitute total dissolved solids. The main reason is that these solids fail to dissolve in water but remain suspended or settle at the bottom. TDS can pass through filters with decent pore size, but these larger molecules cannot.
What Is The Source Of These TDS?
TDS can originate due to both natural and artificial sources. When a river flows through mountains, the boulders erode off and carry salt and mineral deposits. Human activities such as sewage, urban run-off, and agricultural and industrial waste also contribute to TDS supplies.
There are also harmless TDS like potassium, phosphates and sodium in groundwater and rivers. But it is the toxic chemicals such as fluoride, arsenic and lead that can harm human health. These are the result of incessant human activities and industrial effluents.
Why Is The Purpose Of Measuring TDS?
TDS helps us to analyse the overall quality of our drinking water. It is a handy indicator of the presence of harmful chemicals and other contaminants in drinking water.
A TDS value of greater than 1000mg/L is not fit for drinking. If you live near industrial zones or agricultural areas, your drinking water will likely have a high TDS value.
This is where the RO water purifier comes into the picture. The RO service near me in Ranchi provides me with the most adept water filter to control TDS levels.
What Is The Result Of High Water TDS Levels?
TDS can cause many problems. Prolonged water filtration with high TDS levels causes the filters to wear out. You will have to frequently change the filters if you have water with high levels of TDS.
Increased amounts of TDS in the water change the taste and odour of drinking water for the worse. High quantities of TDS also affect the human skin. If you bathe in such waters, your skin can dry and lead to hair fall.
The excessive mineral content in water causes the water to become hard. This causes soaps and detergents to produce less lather.
What Are the Effects of both High and Low TDS Levels?
TDS up to a specific limit is good for health, but it can get dangerous when it crosses that limit. Some constituents, such as nickel, fluoride, arsenic and lead, are potentially life-threatening. A water purifier service near me in Ranchi provides multi-stage RO purifiers that help tackle these impurities.
Even an extremely low TDS content in water is also undesirable. This demineralised water lacks essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium, giving the water a bland taste. Water with low TDS is highly corrosive, leaching harmful metals such as copper and lead from plumbing pipes.
How Is TDS Measured In Water?
There are two methods to measure the TDS content in water:
Gravimetric Method- In this method, the water gets evaporated, and the remaining residue gets weighed to calculate the TDS level. This method is ideally suited for water containing a high TDS amount, especially inorganic salts. This is a time-consuming but highly accurate method.
Electrical Conductivity- Electrical conductivity is directly related to the number of dissolved ions in water. This is the quickest and easiest method to identify and separate the TDS content in water.
How Does RO Water Purifier Remove TDS?
Rever osmosis purification is the most popular method to reduce TDS levels in the water. RO purifiers remove all impurities from water efficiently. Impurities such as harmful minerals and heavy metals like arsenic and lead get removed by RO filters.
The RO membranes have a pore size of 0.0001 microns, which is extremely fine. This tiny pore size only allows the water molecules to pass, filtering out the remaining impurities. Almost 90-98 per cent of impurities get removed by the reverse osmosis filtration process.
The kind of minerals and metals in the water decides the harmfulness of TDS. Modern water purification technology helps identify and lower excessive levels of TDS in water. Therefore, using a RO filter ensures the right balance of dissolved solids for safe and nutrient-rich drinking water.