Physical and chemical characteristics of total suspended solids in Singapore waters

• Main Author: Cheong, Teresa Wen Ling.
• Other Authors: Tan Soon Keat
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39365
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Human intervention through destructive land use and water management system influences terrestrial ecosystems, freshwater and marine environment as dissolved materials and particulates derived from the interactions are released directly into the water bodies. Prolonged accumulation of the suspended solids will affect light penetration through the water, and hence resulting in its murky appearance. Possible sources of suspended solids include clay minerals, silt, colloidal solids and silicia. Overtime, higher Total Suspended Solids (TSS) concentration will cause water bodies to lose their ability to support aquatic organisms and disrupt the growth of flora and fauna. This project aims to study the physical and chemical characteristics of TSS in water bodies, with emphasis on lake waters of a tropical climate. Physical parameters will include Temperature, pH, Light penetration, Colour and Turbidity while chemical parameters will include Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). Freshwater samples were taken from Nanyang Technological University (NTU)- Nanyang Lake and brought to the lab for further analysis. Deductions were made with regards to the monthly rainfall distribution and concentration profiling. The relationships between the traits of TSS and their effects on the water parameters were also established. From experimental findings, the month of December is observed to have the best water quality relative to the other sampling periods. There is a positive correlation between parameters such as turbidity, colour and TOC to a change in TSS concentration, while light penetration is negatively correlated to TSS concentration profiling. It is also observed that physical parameters show substantial changes to concentration profiling as compared to the chemical parameters. With a better understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of TSS, we would be able to adopt suitable and appropriate water clarity techniques to curb water pollution problems. The concentration profiling adopted in this project would be useful and applicable in the real world context, in predicting water qualities since concentration of water bodies would nonetheless fluctuate with different climatic conditions.