Rock and soil fragments, dirt and debris from roads and vehicles, oil particulates
Total suspended solids (TSS) – measures the mass of particulates of varied origin suspended in a moving body of water
The particulates causing turbidity are insoluble
High turbidity levels are often associated with higher levels of disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses, parasites and some bacteria, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.[i] Turbidity can also make streams less aesthetically enjoyable.
Turbidity reduces visibility and absorbs light, which can increase stream temperatures and reduce photosynthesis.[ii] Impeding aquatic plant photosynthesis reduces the amount of food, habitat and dissolved oxygen available for other species.[iii] The fine particles that cause turbidity may also clog and abrade fish and insect gills and tissue and interfere with egg and larval development.[iv] Pollutants such as pesticides and PCBs adhere to the surfaces of turbidity-causing particulates and can be transported into aquatic environments in this fashion.[v]
None. EPA recommends water quality criteria for many of the constituents that cause turbidity.[vi]
Turbidity describes the amount of optical diffraction caused by particulates suspended in water indirectly measuring the amount of particulates in the water[vii]. The particulates measured by turbidity can either solid or liquid (i.e. oil droplets)[viii] however, the solid particulates are predominant in turbidity measurements. Turbidity is often used as a surrogate measurement for total suspended solids although no correlation between turbidity and TSS measurements can be made.[ix]
See TSS for sources of turbidity.
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[i] U.S. EPA, List of Contaminants and Their MCLs, http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html
[ii] Lake Superior Streams, Turbidity and TSS, http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/param_turbidity.html (last visited Aug. 4, 2010).
[iii] Lake Superior Streams, supra.
[iv] Lake Superior Streams, supra.
[v] Charles River Watershed Ass’n, CRWA Water Quality Monitoring Parameters, http://www.crwa.org/water_quality/monthly/parameters.html (last visited Aug. 9, 2010).
[vi] See U.S. EPA, National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/wqctable/index.html#U (last visited July 30, 2010).
[vii] Standard Methods 2-8 (Eaton, Andrew D., et al. eds., 21st ed. 2005).
[viii] Galvanic Applied Sciences, Inc., Principle of measurement combined 12° / 90° scatter light http://www.monitek.de/techn/pdf_e/scatterlight.pdf (last visited Aug. 9, 2010).
[ix] Standard Methods, supra.