Bachelor of Science (Hons.

) Applied Chemistry
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA

LTM-1.7 Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

COURSE NUMBER AND NAME:

CMT565
Water and Waterwaste Technology

SEMESTER AND YEAR:

2nd Year Semester 4

NAME OF STUDENT: NAME OF GROUP MEMBERS

Anis Afiqah binti Ariffin 1. Siti Nadiah binti Mohd Tamizi
2017420004 2. Nursabrina Najwa binti Salmin

NAME OF LAB INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Shariff Che Ibrahim

DATE OF REPORT SUBMITTED: GRADE:

23rd April 2019
ABSTRACT
Total suspended solids (TSS) are all particles in water that will not pass through a glass
fiber filter with a pore size less than 2 µm, including sediments, algae, nutrients and metals.
TSS is an important water quality parameter because of its adverse effects on aquatic species
and wildfire. Measurement of TSS concentration is essential to characterize polluted or turbid
sample water. Waters with high suspended solids generally are of inferior palatability and may
induce an unfavorable physiological reaction. The objective of this work is to determine the
total suspended solids in provided sample water. A laboratory work of filtering a well-mixed
sample through a weighed standard glass-fiber filter and the residue retained on the filter dried
to constant weight was used. The increase in weight of the filter represents the TSS.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this experiment is to determine the total suspended solids (TSS) in the
provided water sample.
INTRODUCTION

‘Total solids’ is the term applied to the residue left in the vessel after evaporation of a
sample and its subsequent was dried in an oven at a defined temperature. Total solids includes
‘total suspended solids’ and ‘total dissolved solids’. Dissolved solids is the portion of solids
that passes through a filter of 2 mm (or smaller) nominal pore size under specified conditions.
Suspended solids is the portion retained on the filter. The type of filter: the filter holder, pore
size, porosity, area, and thickness of the filter and the physical nature: particle size and amount
of material deposited on the filter are some of the factors affecting separation of suspended
from dissolved solids.

Total suspended solids is a measure of the undissolved solid matter in a water that
remains on the surface of a filter after all the water had been evaporated. Suspended solids
affect water quality by making it unfit or unsafe to drink, aesthetically unacceptable for
recreational use and aquatic habitats and unsuitable for use in many industrial or other
applications. A known volume of a well-mixed sample is filtered through a standard glass-fibre
filter, collecting the solid residue on the surface of the filter. The filter and residue is evaporated
to a constant weight condition in an oven maintained at a temperature of 103-105°C. The mass
of the dried residue is determined and used to calculate the concentration of total suspended
solids in the sample.

This method is applicable for measurement of total suspended solids in all natural
waters, raw, processed and treated agricultural, municipal or industrial wastewaters. This
method is not considered applicable to wastewater slurries behaving as a Newtonian fluid, non-
Newtonian fluids or treated drinking water.
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS

A. Apparatus:
Buchner funnel, suction flask, glass-fiber filter paper, vacuum pump, drying oven,
desiccator, analytical balance, forceps and measuring cylinder.

B. Chemical and solution:

Bentonite, sodium chloride (𝑁𝑎𝐶𝑙), distilled water, sample water.

C. Procedure:

Six Buchner funnels was obtained. Glass-fiber filter disk was inserted with wrinkle side
up into each funnel. The vacuum was applied and each filter disk was conditioned with 50𝑚𝑙
distilled water. The funnels was then dried in oven at 105º𝐶 for 1 hour.

After an hour, the funnels was cooled in a desiccator for 30 minutes to balance its
temperature. The filter disk was taken out, weighed as 𝑊 and put back into the funnel. The
vacuum was applied again. According to Table 1.0, 50𝑚𝑙 of distilled water was used to wash
the filter disk in Funnel 1 to set as ‘blank’. For the other funnels, the solution used to wash the
filter was according to Table 1.0. For the TSS standard and sample water, it was stirred first
before measured to mix the solution from any suspended compounds. The suction was allowed
to complete drainage until complete.

All the funnels was dried again in the oven at 105º𝐶 for 1 hour. The funnels was cooled
in desiccator. The filter was taken out and the weight was recorded as 𝑊 .

*Notes:

Blank – distilled water

QC – TSS standard (242mg/L)

Sample – provided sample water

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1.1: Laboratory datasheet.

Volume used
Solution 𝑾𝟏 (𝒈) 𝑾𝟐 (𝒈) TSS (𝒎𝒈/𝒍)
(𝒎𝒍)
Blank 50 0.3118 0.3118 0
Std 1 20 0.3136 0.3173 185
Std 2 30 0.3131 0.3178 157
Sample 1 50 0.3118 0.3285 334
Sample 2 70 0.3112 0.3346 334
Sample 3 100 0.3117 0.3409 292
*𝑊 = Filter disk
**𝑊 = Filter disk + sample

Total solid as defined by ‘Standard Methods for Examination of Water and

Wastewater’ is the material residue left in a vessel after evaporation of a sample and its
subsequent drying in an oven at 105ºC for an hour. Total suspended solids (TSS) is the
portion retained on the glass-fiber filter. The wetted, dried and weighed filter papers is placed
in Buchner funnels and suction was applied. Measured volume of solution was passed
through the filters. The filter containing the residue was then dried for an hour, cooled and
weighed. The difference in weight of the dry filter paper is the TSS contained (in milligrams)
per liter of solution filtered.

In this experiment, the amount of suspended solid in the solution was calculated using
formula. The amount of TSS in distilled water is 0 mg/L since it a clean water. The average
TSS calculated in the TSS standard was 171 mg/L which is 29.3% error from the theoretical
value of 242 mg/L. Finally, the amount of TSS is the wastewater sample is 320 mg/L.

TSS are solid materials including organic and inorganic that are suspended in the water.
TSS can result from erosion from urban run-off and agricultural land, industrial wastes, bank
erosion, bottom feeders, algae growth or wastewater discharge. High concentration of
suspended solids can lower the water quality by absorbing light. Waters then become warmer
and lessen the ability to hold oxygen necessary for aquatic life. Because aquatic plants also
receive less light, photosynthesis decreases and less oxygen is produced. The combination of
warmer water, less light and less oxygen makes it impossible for some forms of life to exist.
Suspended solids can also affect life in other ways. They can clog fish gills, reduce growth
rates, decrease resistance to disease and prevent egg and larva development.
CONCLUSION
The amount of total dissolved solids in the provided water sample was calculated and
determined.

REFERENCES

1. Dolinar, B. (2014). Practical Application of the Results for Optically Measured Total
Suspended Solids Concentrations in the Drava River. Journal of Water Resource and
Protection, 6, 710-721. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2014.67068.
2. Rodger B. Baird, Andrew D. Eaton, and Eugene W. Rice (2017). Standard Methods
for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. APHA, Washington, DC, 23nd Edition.
3. Branigan, J. (2013). Development of a Field Test for Total Suspended Solids Analysis.
M.S. thesis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.
APPENDICES

A. Data Tables

Table 1.0: Solutions used.

Buchner Volume used
Solution
Funnel (𝒎𝒍)
1 Blank 50
2 TSS Standard 1 20
3 TSS Standard 2 30
4 Sample 1 50
5 Sample 2 70
6 Sample 3 100

B. Calculations
i. TSS calculation.

( )×
TSS (mg/L) =

[Blank]

( . . )×
TSS (mg/L) =

=0

[Standard 1] [Standard 2]

( . . )× ( . . )×
TSS (mg/L) = TSS (mg/L) =

= 185 = 157

[Sample 1] [Sample 2]

( . . )× ( . . )×
TSS (mg/L) = TSS (mg/L) =

= 334 = 334

[Sample 3]

( . . )×
TSS (mg/L) =

= 292
 ii. Average TTS in the solutions.

Blank = 0 mg/L

TSS Standard = = 171 mg/L

Sample = = 320 mg/L

iii. Percentage error for TSS standard.

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× 100% = 29.3%