Is turbidity a direct measurement of particle concentrations or is it an indicator? Explain briefly. Solution No turbidity is not a direct measurement of particle concentrations but it is an indicator. The turbidity of water is based on the amount of light scattered by the particles present in the water. The water will appear more turbid if there are more particles present in the water making it cloudy. It may be due to suspended solids and dissolved cloured materials. Hence it does not meaures particle concentration but acts as an indicator of clarity of water..