 Physical characteristics of groundwater |
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Contaminant
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Sources to
groundwater
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Potential health
and other effects
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Turbidity
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Caused by the presence of suspended matter such as clay, silt,
and fine particles of organic and inorganic matter, plankton, and other
microscopic organisms.
A measure how much light can filter through the water
sample.
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Objectionable for aesthetic reasons. Indicative of clay or
other inert suspended particles in drinking water.
May not adversely affect
health but may cause need for additional treatment.
Following rainfall,
variations in groundwater turbidity may be an indicator of surface
contamination.
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Color
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Can be caused by decaying leaves, plants, organic matter,
copper, iron, and manganese, which may be objectionable.
Indicative of large
amounts of organic chemicals, inadequate treatment, and high disinfection
demand.
Potential for production of excess amounts of disinfection
byproducts.
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Suggests that treatment is needed.
No health concerns.
Aesthetically unpleasing.
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pH
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Indicates, by numerical expression, the degree to which water
is alkaline or acidic.
Represented on a scale of 0-14 where 0 is the most
acidic, 14 is the most alkaline, and 7 is neutral.
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High pH causes a bitter taste; water pipes and water-using
appliances become encrusted; depresses the effectiveness of the disinfection
of chlorine, thereby causing the need for additional chlorine when pH is
high.
Low-pH water will corrode or dissolve metals and other substances.
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Odor
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Certain odors may be indicative of organic or non-organic
contaminants that originate from municipal or industrial waste discharges or
from natural sources.
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Taste
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Some substances such as certain organic salts produce a taste
without an odor and can be evaluated by a taste test.
Many other sensations
ascribed to the sense of taste actually are odors, even though the sensation
is not noticed until the material is taken into the mouth.
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source: water.usgs.gov
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