Physical and aggregation properties [chapter 7]
Abstract
UV–visible spectrophotometry in mainly used as the detection method for a colourimetric analytical method or for the measurement of dissolved specific substances and aggregate parameters in water and wastewater. However, other applications for the physical parameter determinations such as the measurement or characterization of color or total suspended solids (TSSs) have been made. After a brief presentation of color measurement of water, the physical diffuse absorption related to the interaction between nondissolved matter and UV–visible absorbance is described. UV responses to mineral suspensions and wastewater are presented and optical properties of microorganisms in water are also considered regarding the recent works on this topic. Finally, the TSS estimation by UV–visible spectrophotometry is considered after a discussion concerning the relevance of turbidity for water quality monitoring.