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| Water Quality |
| Testing your water quality on a regular basis is an important part of maintaining a safe and reliable source. The test results allow you to address properly the specific problems of a water supply. This will help ensure that the water source is being properly protected from potential contamination, and that appropriate treatment is selected and operating properly. Regular testing is important to: |
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Identify existing problems |
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Ensure water is suitable for the intended use |
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Ensure safe drinking water |
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Determine the effectiveness of a treatment system |
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| Basic Water Quality Test packages include tests for coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, sodium, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, iron, manganese, total dissolved solids, and hardness. |
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Coliform bacteria tests indicate the presence of microorganisms in the water that are potentially harmful to human health. |
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Nitrate is a common contaminant found mainly in groundwater. High nitrate concentrations can be particularly dangerous for babies under six months, since nitrate interferes with the ability of blood to carry oxygen. |
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Ions such as sodium, chloride, sulphate, iron, and manganese can impart objectionable taste or odour to water. |
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Excessive amounts of sulfate can have a laxative effect or cause gastrointestinal irritation. |
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Fluoride is an essential micro-nutrient, but excessive amounts can cause dental problems. |
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Total dissolved solids represent the amount of inorganic substances (i.e. sodium, chloride, sulphate) that are dissolved in the water. High total dissolved solids (TDS) can reduce the palatability of water. |
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| Other tests may be appropriate if a particular contaminant is suspected in the water. For instance, groundwater sources are sometimes tested for arsenic, selenium, and uranium. Both surface and groundwater sources may also be tested for pesticide contamination. |
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| Environmental Audits and Surveys |
| An environmental audit is a formal periodic assessment conducted on site using an established protocol. The short term objectives of these audits are to determine compliance with environmental laws and regulations. The audits will not only identify potential compliance issues, but will recommend, as applicable, pollution prevention process changes to assist the facility in achieving and sustaining compliance. The long term objectives of these audits are to ensure ongoing conformance and adherence with company operating systems/national standards with respect to environmental guidelines/standards. |
| What are Particulate Matter and/or Deposited Matter? |
| Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of particles that can adversely affect human health, damage materials, and form atmospheric haze that degrades visibility. PM is usually divided into different classes based on size, ranging from total suspended particulates (TSP) through PM 10 to PM 2.5 (particles less than 10 microns or 2.5 microns respectively in aerodynamic diameter). PM includes dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets directly emitted into the air by sources such as factories, power plants, cars, construction activity, fires, and natural windblown dust. The term Deposited Matter refers to particulate matter which has fallen out of suspension within the atmosphere. Note: There is no direct method of conversion between deposited matter and TSP or PM10. |
| Particulate matter-Deposited matter sampled by this method is predominantly dust particles that rapidly settle from the air. The method is used primarily to establish long term trends and to investigate localized dustfall. Some common sources of such particles are surface mining operations, industrial processes, unsealed roads and natural causes such as wind-blown dust. The particulate matter-deposited matter can be analysed for any contaminants of concern: i.e. trace metals, organic species and silica. |
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| Dust Deposition Monitoring |
| Have you considered the use of Dust Deposit Gauges placed in proximity to your site? The use of Dust Deposit Gauges is often used to provide a long term inexpensive method to continuously monitor your worksite for deposited particulate matter that rapidly settles from the air. |
| This is achieved by using a system of Dust Deposit Gauges set up in accordance with AS/NZS 3580.10.1:2003 Method 10.1: Determination of particulate matter – Deposited matter – Gravimetric method and is a widely accepted method, used most commonly adjacent major road/tunnel and inner city construction works over long periods of time. |
| What is a Dust Deposit Gauge? |
| A deposit gauge consists of a 150 ±10mm diameter funnel supported firmly by a glass bottle which has a minimum volume of 4 litres. The funnel is supported using a rubber stopper with a groove to allow water overflow under excessive rainfall conditions. |
| A stand supports the deposit gauge such that the top of the funnel is 2 ±0.2m above ground level. The stand generally incorporates a container to protect the bottle contents from sunlight which may accelerate algae growth. The stand must be sufficiently sturdy to prevent any movement during high winds and to ensure the top of the funnel remains in the horizontal position. |
| Deposit gauges are relatively inexpensive and are more suited to long term monitoring. They are the most simple yet most effective form of dust monitor available (Environment Australia, 1998). Their main advantage is that they do not require an electrical power supply, they can be deployed in remote areas and can be left in the field for long periods of time. However, their disadvantage is they do not provide data on a day by day basis, information on dust concentrations, nor relate dust levels to wind direction or particular events. If there is a major dust problem it will not be known until the end of the monthly cycle. |
| Equipment such as High volume samplers (or TSP High Volume Samplers) can provide day by day data (an average dust concentration taken over a 24-hour period) and Continuous Particle Monitors can provide real – time data. Matched with event data and wind activity, Continuous Particle Monitors offer a real advance over other methods in managing certain sites, activities and dust emissions. Further advice on these items can be obtained from your GETEX consultant. |
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