What type of filter is used in the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) procedure?

The Total Suspended Solids (TSS) procedure typically employs a glass fiber filter with a nominal pore size of 2.0 micrometers. This choice is optimal for several reasons.

Firstly, glass fiber filters are particularly effective at capturing a wide range of particulate matter suspended in water, which is essential for accurately measuring TSS. They provide high flow rates while maintaining an adequate level of filtration, allowing for the efficient collection of solids without excessive waiting times during the process.

Furthermore, the 2.0 micrometer pore size strikes a balance between allowing smaller particles to pass through while capturing larger particulate matter, which is critical for assessing water quality. Using filters that are either too fine or too coarse might result in inaccurate measurements of suspended solids, thus affecting the final analysis.

In comparison, filters with nominal pore sizes that are significantly smaller, such as 0.45 micrometers, would retain finer particulate matter and may not yield an accurate representation of total suspended solids, as they filter out some of the larger particles typically included in TSS assessments.

Overall, the glass fiber filter with a 2.0 um pore size is tailored to the specific needs of the TSS procedure, ensuring both precision and efficiency in testing water samples