Water quality analysis

Abstract -
Water is perhaps the most precious natural resource after air.
Though the surface of the earth is mostly consists of water, only a small part of
it is usable, which makes this resource very limited. This precious and limited
resource, therefore, must be used with prudence. As water is required for
different purposes, the suitability of it must be checked before use. Also, sources
of water must be monitored regularly to determine whether they are in
sound health or not. Poor condition of water bodies are not only the indictor
of environmental degradation, it is also a threat to the ecosystem. In
industries, improper quality of water may cause hazards and severe economic
loss. Thus, the quality of water is very important in both environmental and
economic aspects. Thus, water quality analysis is essential for using it in any
purpose. After years of research, water quality analysis is now consists of some
standard protocols. There are guidelines for sampling, preservation and analysis
of the samples. Here the standard chain of action is discussed briefly so that it
may be useful to the analysts and researchers. Key Words: Water Quality
Monitoring, Water Quality Assessment, Water Quality Analysis, Chain of
Custody .

INTRODUCTION
What is Water Quality?
Water Quality can be defined as the chemical, physical and biological
characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for a designated use.
Water can be used for recreation, drinking, fisheries, agriculture or industry.
Each of these designated uses has different defined chemical, physical and
biological standards necessary to fulfil the respective purpose. For example,
there are stringent standards for water to be used for drinking or swimming
compared to that used in agriculture or industry.

What is Water Quality Analysis?

After many years of research, water quality standards are put in place to ensure
the suitability of efficient use of water for a designated purpose. Water
quality analysis is to measure the required parameters of water, following
standard methods, to check whether they are in accordance with the standard.

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Why Water Quality Analysis is required?

Water quality analysis is required mainly for monitoring purpose. Some
importance of such assessment includes:
(i) To check whether the water quality is in compliance with the standards,
and hence, suitable or not for the designated use.
(ii) To monitor the efficiency of a system, working for water quality
maintenance
(iii) To check whether upgradation / change of an existing system is required
and to decide what changes should take place
(iv) To monitor whether water quality is in compliance with rules and
regulations.

Water quality analysis is of extremely necessary in the sectors of:

 Public Health (especially for drinking water)
 Industrial Use

PROCEDURES OF WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS

Selection of Parameters
The parameters of water quality are selected entirely according to the need
for a specific use of that water. Some examples are:
Drinking: As per WHO/CPCB Standards
Irrigation:
pH
Conductivity
Sodium & Potassium
Nutrients
Specific compounds

Industries: As per specific requirement

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Domestic Consumption: As per BIS Standards

Water Bodies: As per CPCB guidelines
Selection of methods:
The methods of water quality analysis are selected according to the
requirement. The factors playing key role for the selection of methods are:
(i) Volume and number of sample to be analyzed
(ii) Cost of analysis
(iii) Precision required
(iv) Promptness of the analysis as required

A sample is considered to be under a person’s custody if it is in the individual’s

physical possession, in the individual’s sight, secured and tamper-proofed by
that individual, or secured in an area restricted to authorized personnel. The
following procedures summarize the major aspects of chain-of-custody:
(i) Sample Labels:
Labels are used to prevent sample misidentification as
well as to identify the collector, if required. In other words,
labeling ensures the responsibility and accountability of the collector.

(ii) Sample Seals:

Sample seals are used to detect unauthorized tampering
with samples up to the time of analysis. So, it is essential to seal a
sample before leaving the custody of the collector. Sealing must be
done in such a way as one have to break the seal to access the sample.

(iii) Field Log Book:

All the useful information related to a field survey or sampling
should be recorded in a Log Book. At least the following data should
be in the log book:
(a) Purpose of sampling
(b) Location of sampling point
(c) Name and address of field contact
(d) Producer of material being sampled and address, if different from
location
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(e) Type of sample

(f) Method, date, and time of preservation.
(iv) Sample Analysis Request Sheet:
The sample analysis request sheet accompanies samples to
the laboratory. The collector completes the field portion of such a
form that includes most of the pertinent information noted in the log
book. The laboratory portion of such a form is to be completed
by laboratory personnel and includes: name of person receiving the
sample, laboratory sample number, date of sample receipt, condition
of each sample (i.e., if it is cold or warm, whether the container is full
or not, color, if more than one phase is present, etc.) and
determinations to be performed.

(iv) Sample Delivery to the Laboratory:

Sample(s) should be delivered to laboratory as soon as
possible after collection, typically within 2 days. Where shorter
sample holding times are required, special arrangements must be made
to insure timely delivery to the laboratory. Where samples are shipped
by a commercial carrier, the waybill number to be included in the
sample custody documentation. Samples must be accompanied by
a complete chain-of-custody record and a sample analysis request
sheet.

(v) Receipt and Logging of Sample:

In the laboratory, the sample custodian inspects the
condition and seal of the sample and reconciles label information
and seal against the chain-of-custody record before the sample is
accepted for analysis. After acceptance, the custodian assigns a
laboratory number, logs sample in the laboratory log book and/or
computerized laboratory information management system, and stores
it in a secured storage room or cabinet or refrigerator at the
specified temperature until it is assigned to an analyst.

(vi) Assignment of Sample for Analysis:

The laboratory supervisor usually assigns the sample for
analysis. Once the sample is in the laboratory, the supervisor or
analyst is responsible for its care and custody.

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(vii) Disposal:
Samples are held for the prescribed amount and duration for the
project or until the data have been reviewed and accepted. Samples
are disposed usually after documentation. However, disposal must be
in accordance with approved methods.

Proper Sampling
Proper sampling is a vital condition for correct measurement of water
quality parameters. Even if advanced techniques and sophisticated tools are
used, the parameters can give an incorrect image of the actual scenario
due to improper sampling. The proper sampling should fulfill the following
criteria:

(i) Representative:
The data must represent the wastewater or water body being
sampled. So, the following factors must be well planned for proper
sampling:
(a) Process of Sampling
(b) Sampling size/volume
(c) Number of Sampling Locations
(d) Number of Samples
(e) Type of Samples
(f) Time Intervals During sampling, these factors must also be taken care
of:
 Choosing of proper sampling container
 Avoiding contamination
 Ensure the personal safety of the collector
(ii) Reproducible:
The data obtained must be reproducible by others following the
same sampling and analytical protocols.
(viii) Defensible:

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Documentation must be available to validate the sampling

procedures. The data must have a known degree of accuracy and
precision.
(ix) Useful:
The data can be used to meet the objectives of the monitoring
plan.

Proper Labeling
Proper labeling prevents sample misidentification and ensures the
responsibility and accountability of the collector. The sample container
should be labeled properly, preferably by attaching an appropriately
inscribed tag or label. Alternatively, the bottle can be labeled directly with
a water-proof marker. Barcode labels are also available nowadays.
Information on the sample container or the tag should include at least:

(i)Sample code number (identifying location)

(ii) Date and time of sampling
(iii) Source and type of sample
(iv) Pre-treatment or preservation carried out on the sample
(v) Any special notes for the analyst
(vi) Sampler’s name

Preservation
Usually a delay occurs between the collection and analysis of a
sample. The characteristics of the sample can be changed during this period.
Therefore proper preservation is required in the way to laboratory after
collection, and in the laboratory up to when analysis starts. Complete and
unequivocal preservation of samples, whether domestic wastewater,
industrial wastes, or natural waters, is a practical impossibility because
complete stability for every constituent never can be achieved. At best,
preservation techniques only retard chemical (especially, hydrolysis of
constituents) and biological changes that inevitably continue after sample
collection. No single method of preservation is entirely satisfactory; the

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preservative is chosen with due regard to the determinations to be made.

Preservation methods are limited to pH control, chemical addition, the
use of amber and opaque bottles, refrigeration, filtration, and freezing.

Analysis
The samples, after reaching laboratory, are analyzed, according to
the requisite parameters, following standard methods and protocols.

Reporting
The ultimate procedure of water analysis is to prepare a proper report against
the submitted requisition. The report must be authenticated before handing
over the authority. All data should be kept in the laboratory log and
preferably in laboratory database. An alternative way to present the overall
quality of water is to express it in the form of Water Quality Index (WQI).
WQI is a concise numerical representation of overall water quality of a
water body, which is convenient to interpret and used widely. WQI
expresses the overall quality of water with a single digit, instead of many
digits for all the WQP. Thus, it is readily conceivable for common people.

Problem Statement
Safe and readily available water is important for public health,
whether it is used for drinking, domestic use, food production or recreational
purposes. Better water supplies and sanitation, as well as better management
of water resources, can contribute greatly to poverty reduction and economic
growth. It is known that contaminated water and inadequate sanitation
facilitate the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery,
hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. Those without access to clean water and
sanitation face preventable health risks.

Dataset
The dataset contains water quality metrics for 3276 different water bodies.

ph: pH of water (0 to 14).

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Hardness: Capacity of water to precipitate soap in mg/L.

Solids: Total dissolved solids in ppm.
Chloramines: Amount of Chloramines in ppm.
Sulfate: Amount of Sulfates dissolved in mg/L.
Conductivity: Electrical conductivity of water in μS/cm.
Organic_carbon: Amount of organic carbon in ppm.
Trihalomethanes: Amount of Trihalomethanes in μg/L.
Turbidity: Measure of light emitting property of water in NTU.
Potability: Indicates if water is safe for human consumption. Potable - 1 and
Not potable - 0

Libraries
The following python libraries were used to perform the various actions on the
dataset from loading to preprocessing to visualizing and predicting the results.

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sns
import plotly.express as ex
import plotly.graph_objs as go
import plotly.offline as pyo
import scipy.stats as stats
import pymc3 as pm
import theano.tensor as tt

Numpy- NumPy is the fundamental package needed for scientific computing

with Python.

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Pandas - Python library used to analyze data.

Matplotlib - Most of the Matplotlib utilities lies under the pyplot submodule.

Seaborn - An open-source Python library built on top of matplotlib. It is used

for data visualization and exploratory data analysis.

Plotly - provides online graphing, analytics, and statistics tools for individuals
and collaboration, as well as scientific graphing libraries for Python, R,
MATLAB, Perl, Julia, Arduino, and REST.

Objective
The objective of water quality analysis is to assess the physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics of water to determine its suitability for various uses,
such as drinking, recreational activities, agricultural irrigation, and industrial
processes. This analysis helps identify potential contaminants, ensure
compliance with regulatory standards, and safeguard public health and the
environment.

Dataset
The dataset contains water quality metrics for 3276 different water bodies.

ph: pH of water (0 to 14).

Hardness: Capacity of water to precipitate soap in mg/L.
Solids: Total dissolved solids in ppm.
Chloramines: Amount of Chloramines in ppm.
Sulfate: Amount of Sulfates dissolved in mg/L.
Conductivity: Electrical conductivity of water in μS/cm.
Organic_carbon: Amount of organic carbon in ppm.
Trihalomethanes: Amount of Trihalomethanes in μg/L.

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Turbidity: Measure of light emitting property of water in NTU.

Potability: Indicates if water is safe for human consumption. Potable - 1 and
Not potable – 0

Code:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.figure(figsize=(10,10))
sns.heatmap(data=df.corr(), annot=True, cmap='BrBG')

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CONCLUSION
Assessment of water quality is essential to check the suitability of a water
source for the designated use. Several water quality parameters are assessed
and compared with their standard values to determine the acceptability of the
water to be used. After prolonged research, the procedures for the assessment
of the water have been standardized. In this article such guidelines are
discussed concisely in one place for the convenience of the researchers and
analysts. Thus, it may be helpful for them to get an overview of the water
quality assessment standards and procedures.

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