Solids refer to matter suspended or dissolved in water or wastewater. Solids may affect water or effluent quality adversely in a number of ways. Waters with high dissolved solids generally are of inferior palatability and may induce an unfavorable physiological reaction in the transient consumer.
The total solids content of a sample is used to convert the analytical results obtained on an as-received basis to that of an oven dry weight basis.
Total solids includes “total suspended solids, ”the portion of total solids retained by a filter, and “total dissolved solids,” the portion that passes through the filter.
Total solids determination in foods is one of the most often used tests in quality control. For some fresh fluid dairy products, total solids testing is one of a few analytical tests used prior to packaging and distribution.
Total
solids content
