Water Analysis

Water chemistry analyses are carried out to identify and quantify the chemical components and properties of a certain water. This include pH, major cations and anions, trace elements and isotopes. Water chemistry analysis is used extensively to determine the possible uses a water may have or to study the interaction it has with its environment. Water chemistry analysis is often the groundwork of studies of water quality, pollution, hydrology and geothermal waters.

There is no such thing in nature as “pure” water. Nearly all water contains contaminants, even in the absence of nearby pollution-causing activities. Many dissolved minerals, organic carbon compounds, and microbes find their way into your drinking water as water comes into contact with air and soil. When pollutant and contaminant levels in drinking water are excessively high, they may affect certain household routines and/or be detrimental to human health.

Depending on the components, different methods are applied to determine the quantities or ratios of the components. While some methods can be performed with standard laboratory equipment, others require advanced devices, such as Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Oxygen and H2S are most commonly measured by titration.

• Ion chromatography is a sensitive and stable technique that can measure Li, NH4, Na, K, Ca and Mg quantities among other components.
• For steam samples, gas chromatography can be used to determine methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen quantities.
• An MBAS assay indicates anionic surfactants in water with a bluing reaction.
• Saturated calomel electrode and glass electrode are often used in conjunction to determine the pH and EC of water.
• Spectrophotometry is most commonly used to measure iron and Nitrate contents in water samples.