Do you know that the salinity in water can be harmful for your industrial production and manufacturing units? Moreover, excess salt accumulation affects farm machinery, waterways, and entire infrastructure. A massive amount of water is required for production of various products. This is why it is important to get your water tested from an authorised laboratory for regulatory compliance, quality assurance, safety and efficacy of your business.
What is Salinity?
Salinity is a measure of the content of salts in soil or water. Salts are highly soluble in surface and groundwater and can be transported with water movement.
Types of salinity:
- Primary salinity — large salt deposits that are a natural feature of vast areas stored deep in soils or as surface salt deposits and salt lakes.
- Secondary salinity — additional salt transported to the soil surface or waterways, increased due to altered land use (vegetation clearance, poor land management, irrigation and industrial practices).
Therefore, excessive amounts of dissolved salt in water can affect agriculture, drinking water supplies and ecosystems.
Effects of salinity
- corrosion of machinery and infrastructure
- reduction in crop yields.
- Impaired agricultural production
- Pipeline scaling
- Boiler system failure in manufacturing units
- Changes the fundamental properties and quality of product
- Harm to end consumers
Salt (sodium chloride) in drinking water
- Sodium is an essential mineral in our diet. It is commonly found in the form of sodium chloride (salt). Salt has no smell and it dissolves easily in water and gives water a “salty” taste at levels greater than 180 milligrams per litre.
- Sodium (salt) will give drinking water a salty taste at a concentration greater than 180 milligrams per litre.
- People who suffer from high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, kidney problems or are required to be on a low sodium diet should be aware of the sodium (salt) level in their drinking water.
Impact of water salinity in drinking water
Salt in drinking water is generally found in low levels (20 mg/L) and is considered a negligible contributor to daily salt intake. Aesthetic guideline value according to WHO should be 200mg/L. Several studies identified the association between excessive salinity in drinking water with increased risk of hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational hypertension.
Moreover, there are reports that it also leads to infant mortality, cholera outbreaks, skin and many other diseases. Proxies of water salinity are total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a secondary standard (non-mandatory guideline) value of TDS at 500 mg/L.
How to measure salinity in water?
Water salinity is measured by passing an electric current between the two electrodes of a salinity meter in a sample of water. The electrical conductivity or EC of water samples is influenced by the concentration and composition of dissolved salts. Salts increase the ability of a solution to conduct an electrical current, so a high EC value indicates a high salinity level. Electrical conductivity (EC) is also a term used to describe a measurement unit of salinity.
Water Salinity test in our laboratory
It is essential to get your water tested for salinity from a certified laboratory for accurate results. Laboratory analysis is needed for an accurate and reliable water salinity measurement. Our laboratory has been accredited by NABL to the ISO IEC 17025, since 2003. With PAN India footprints, we have testing laboratories in New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Bangalore.
Our labs are also approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards for testing of water to various national and international standards. We can help you comply with water regulatory laws and guidelines. Our laboratory has been accredited and notified by NABL, FSSAI, BIS, CDSCO, ISM&H, APEDA, EIC/EIA, AGMARK.
Contact us to get a salinity test of your water sample.
