

Interaction of wastewater analytical categories and laboratory tests.Īlthough wastewater analytical tests are often separated into categories, it is important to understand that these tests are not independent of each other (Figure 1).
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SERIAL DILUTION METHOD SERIES
The determination of wastewater quality set forth in environmental permits has been established since the 1970s in a series of laboratory tests focused on four major categories:

This increased water use and process wastewater generation requires more efficient removal of by-products and pollutants that allows for effluent discharge within established environmental regulatory limits. Since the implementation of the Clean Water Act and subsequent creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in the early 1970s, industrial, institutional and commercial entities have been required to continually improve the quality of their process wastewater effluent discharges.Īt the same time, population and production increases have increased water use, creating a corresponding rise in wastewater quantity. When performing a dilution there is a equation that can be used to determine the final concentration.Biological & Agricultural Engineering and Poultry Science Departments By performing a dilution on a sample it may reduce the interfering substance to a point where it no longer interferes with the test. If the Mn+6 is present in the sample it will add to the value of the chlorine test due to the way the it reacts to the chlorine test reagents. For example, oxidized manganese (Mn+6) acts as an interference to the chlorine test. An example is if performing a chlorine test, chlorine would be the analyte.Īn interference is a compound that can add to, or subtract from the result of the analysis.

Dilutions can be important when dealing with an unknown substance.Ī dilution can be performed not only to lower the concentration of the analyte that is being tested, so that it is in range, but also to help eliminate interferences from other substances that may be present in the sample that can artificially alter the analysis.Īn analyte is the compound in the sample that is desired to be tested.
