6. A measure of how acidic/basic water is;
Ranges from 0-14, with 7 being neutral
Reported in logarithmic units (ex. pH of 5 is 10x more
acidic than 6)
7. pH of water determines solubility and biological
availability of chemical constituents
Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon)
Heavy metals (lead, copper, cadmium, etc.)
pH determines activity of organisms and there ability to
use nutrients
pH determines toxicity of heavy metals
Generally more toxic at lower pH (solubility)
8. The measure of the ability of water to conduct electrical
current
Conductivity + area of electrodes = SC
Highly dependent on the amount of dissolved solids
(such as salt) in water
A good indicator of the amount of dissolved material in
water
9. Dissolved solids can affect the suitability of water for
domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses
Can give drinking water unpleasant taste or odor
Can cause gastrointestinal problems
Can deteriorate plumbing fixtures and appliances
Saline water can affect crops
Very high levels can inhibit bacterial activity
10. Oxidation → net loss of electrons, Reduction → net gain
of electrons
A measure of the tendency of a chemical substance to
oxidize or reduce another chemical substance
11. Under proper ORP conditions, contaminants can
transform and/or become immobilized (ex. Heavy
metals)
Cr+6 → Cr+3 under reducing conditions (good)
As+5 → As+3 under reducing conditions (bad)
Chlorinated solvents: Dechlorination (reducing
conditions) or ISCO (oxidizing conditions)
Dechlorination of chlorinated compounds occurs as a
stepwise process with each step requiring a lower ORP
12. Oxygen dissolved in water
Typical Range → 0 to 8 mg/L
Indicates whether conditions are:
Oxidizing (aerobic)
Reducing (anaerobic)
Oxygen is the first electron acceptor available for biotic
transformations and is quickly consumed
If DO is low (<2 mg/L) – look at other electron acceptors
13. The amount of particulate matter (i.e. clay, silt, organic
matter, microscopic organisms) suspended in water
High turbidity in samples can influence analytical results
Organics/inorganics sorbed to particulates
Suspended inorganics
15. Field parameters are actually important
o Geochemistry of site
o Look at trends during remediation & MNA
o Tells us if remediation might be working
Know what to expect
o Historical readings
o What type of remediation → geochemical impacts
Question the data
If it doesn’t make sense – check calibration
Once the sampling is complete – It’s too late!
