Total Solids Determination Overview
📌 Total solids (TS) in wastewater samples are categorized into Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), further broken down into volatile and fixed solids.
🧪 The experiment involves determining TS, TDS, and Total Volatile Solids (TVS) using specific glassware like porcelain dishes and analysis in a hot air oven and a muffle furnace.
💧 Wastewater samples are typically mixed and measured using a measuring cylinder; 25 mL was used in the demonstration, adjusted based on sample concentration.

Procedure for Total Solids (TS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
🔥 To find TS, an initial dry weight of the porcelain dish ($W_1$) is taken, followed by measuring the weight after adding the sample and drying at 103°C to 105°C.
📉 TDS measurement begins by passing the sample through a Whatman filter paper (e.g., No. 42) to separate suspended matter, followed by drying the filtrate residue in a porcelain dish (initial weight $W_2$) at 103°C to 105°C.
🌡️ After drying, the residue weight ($W_3$) is measured for TS, and the filtrate residue weight ($W_4$) is measured for TDS. The difference between $W_3$ and $W_1$ yields the TS weight, and the difference between $W_4$ and $W_2$ yields the TDS weight.

Procedure for Total Fixed Solids (TFS) and Total Volatile Solids (TVS)
🔥 To find TFS, the dried residue from the TS measurement is placed in a muffle furnace at 550°C to burn off organic matter.
⚖️ The remaining weight after ignition is the TFS. The TVS is calculated by subtracting the TFS weight from the initial TS weight ($W_{TS} - W_{TFS}$).
📊 Final calculations involve converting the weight differences (in grams) into milligrams per liter (mg/L) using the formula: $\text{Concentration (mg/L)} = \frac{(W_{\text{final}} - W_{\text{initial}}) \times 1000}{\text{Volume Sample (L)}}$.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Thorough drying in the hot air oven ($\text{103-105}^\circ\text{C}$) is critical for accurate Total Solids measurement.
➡️ TVS represents the organic portion of the solids and is determined by incineration at $\text{550}^\circ\text{C}$ in a muffle furnace.
➡️ Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are calculated as the difference between Total Solids (TS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), representing matter retained by the filter.
➡️ Ensure glassware is properly dried and weighed (including the initial empty dish weight) before and after heating to minimize measurement errors.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 26, 2025, 16:45 UTC