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<br />WATER QUALITY GLOSSARY <br /> <br />PPM--Parts per million <br /> <br />Dissolved Solids-- Total amount of organic and inorganic material, in solution in water or <br />wastes. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards recommend rejection of sources having <br />more than 500 ppm total dissolved solids. <br /> <br />Turbidity--A measure of the fine suspended matter in liquids which prevents light passage. <br /> <br />MPN--Most probable number, reflects the bacterial density per 100'm1 which would be likely <br />to yield the observed results, or would yield the results with the greatest frequency. <br /> <br />Coliform Bacteria--Bacteria which are found in soil on vegetation, and in warm-blooded <br />animals, and often used as an indicator of pollution. <br /> <br />pH--Represents the hydrogen ion concentration and is an indicator of alkalinity or acidity. <br /> <br />A1kalinity--Measure of water~s ability to neutralize acid and is due primarily to the presence <br />of hydroxide, bicarbonate, and carbonate. <br /> <br />Hardness--Represents the total concentration of calcium and magnesium ions expressed as <br />calcium carbonate. Water with greater than 120 ppm concentration is considered hard. <br /> <br />Phosphate--May be measured as Orthophosphate (P04) or as Total Phosphate. Found in <br />wastes and synthetic detergents. Not considered harmful to humans. Traces of phosphate <br />increase the tendency of algae to grow. . <br /> <br />Nitrate (N03)--Represents the most highly oxidized phase in the nitrogen cycle and, when <br />excessive amounts occur, can. contribute to the illness known as infant methemoglobinemia <br />(blue babies). <br /> <br />Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)--The quantity of oxygen utilized by bacteria In the <br />oxidation of organic matter in a specified time at a specified temperature. <br /> <br />Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)--Indicates the quantity of oxidizable compounds present <br />in water, has sometimes been correlated with B,-"'D. <br /> <br />Syndets--'Synthetic detergents. Concentrations of 1 ppm can cause a light froth in water. <br /> <br />Chlorides--One of the major anions in water and waste water. Concentrations produce a salty <br />taste and exert a deleterious effect on metallic pipes and agricultural plants. <br /> <br />Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.)--Amount of dissolved oxygen available for aquatic life. The lower <br />limit for most fish is 5 ppm. <br /> <br />Eutrophication-- The process of adding dissolved nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphate, <br />to a lake or river which in turn develops undesirable growths of algae making the water <br />undesirable for fishing and recreation. <br /> <br />35 <br />