Introduction:

Standard Methods Organization defined a number of analytical methods that allow measuring water quality, including the standard norm 2540 D as the conventional method for determining the quantity of total suspended solids (TSS). This method, however, takes a long time (2 hours) to develop, so there are currently several efforts to quantify TSS more quickly, by correlating them with other physicochemical parameters. In this sense, the parameters TSS and turbidity are of great interest in this research, with which we seek to establish a possible correlation using a simple mathematical model.

Objective:

the purpose of this research is to establish a correlation model between the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) in Kaolin samples that allow a rapid determination and in-situ of TSS levels in domestic wastewater.

Materials and methods:

the experimental development was carried out in three stages: first, solutions were prepared from Kaolin to which turbidity was determined; second, a linear regression was performed that considered as variables the parameters of TSS concentration and turbidity by nephelometry; and third, two samples of domestic wastewater from a tributary and an aquarium were taken, to which the same measurements of TSS and turbidity, were applied.

Results:

a calibration curve was built showing the linear regression between TSS and turbidity, subsequently, the NTU of the water samples problem with the concentration of TSS was interpolated and the result obtained was 47.69 mgTSS/L for the tributary and 106.29mgTSS/L for the aquarium water, which have a difference of 2.7 % and 1.7 % respectively in relation to the values estimated with the conventional thermogravimetric method (standard norm 2540 D) 49 mgTSS/L and 104.50mgTSS/L.

Conclusion:

it is possible to establish a correlational model for the determination of the concentration TSS in domestic wastewater samples using the turbidity method.