Is the TDS value always accurate?
Published Time:
2022-06-07
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A TDS meter is a commonly used tool for testing the water quality of drinking water, providing a simple and intuitive way to preliminarily assess the quality of local water.
Generally, the TDS value of tap water is approximately tens to hundreds, while the TDS value of water filtered through a water purifier can be reduced to as low as 10 or less. The decrease in the value indicates that the tap water has been purified.
However, does a lower TDS value mean better water quality? Is the TDS value the standard for judging the safety of drinking water? Is the TDS measurement always accurate?
Let's continue!
01
What is TDS?
TDS is an abbreviation for "Total dissolved solids". The total amount of various solid substances that can be dissolved in water ”。
The TDS measurement unit is milligrams per liter (mg/L), indicating how many milligrams of dissolved solids are contained in 1 liter of water, including soluble salts (calcium ions, magnesium ions, etc.), ionic organic matter (ammonium acetate, sodium sulfate, etc.), and some heavy metal ions (chromium, zinc, lead, copper, etc.).
The higher the TDS value, the more dissolved substances in the water.
02
Can TDS judge the quality of water?
Not necessarily!
There are as many as 106 indicators for measuring water quality, and TDS is only one of them.
Qualified drinking water must meet the standards for comprehensive indicators such as turbidity, total bacterial count, microbial count, heavy metal concentration, and organic matter content.
Therefore, relying solely on TDS water quality testing cannot determine the quality of water.
03
Is the TDS value always accurate?
In fact, there are considerations when measuring the TDS value of a water purifier. Ignoring some external factors during measurement can lead to invalid measurement results.
Factors causing inaccurate TDS values:
1. Water temperature
TDS meter Cannot be used to measure high-temperature water bodies . When the water temperature is too high, the calcium and magnesium ions in the water combine with other substances, increasing the conductivity, and thus the TDS value will also increase, affecting the detection results.
2. Severe water pollution
Water bodies with high pollution concentrations affect measurement data . In some areas of China where the TDS value is high, or in some areas with groundwater exceeding thousands, if the raw water is severely polluted and exceeds the TDS threshold, it will also affect the measurement results.
3. Other influencing factors
① Newly installed machines, or machines with newly replaced filter cartridges need to be flushed for 20-30 minutes before measurement;
② Pure water stored in the water tank for too long will also affect the measurement results.
TDS detects the total amount of dissolved solids. For RO reverse osmosis machines (that is, pure water machines), the removal of dissolved substances can reach 90%-98%. In other words, the measured TDS value in pure water produced by RO reverse osmosis machines can directly reflect the quality of the water 。
Therefore, as long as you use your home water plus an RO membrane reverse osmosis water purifier and occasionally monitor the TDS data, you can basically ensure drinking water safety!
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