Turbidity measurement is used in many fields, for example in the food industry (beverages, dairy, cheese, etc.), in drinking water treatment, or in the production of textiles and semiconductors.
The measurement of TSS (Total Suspended Solids) concentrations is still often based on automatic sampling equipment, followed by laboratory analysis. This has multiple disadvantages:
- the representativeness of the samples is low
- often requires interventions in difficult conditions (where there is a risk of inhaling toxic gases, falling, or microbiological contamination)
- the installation and maintenance of sampling equipment requires a lot of work
Alternatively, a conventional optical turbidity measurement device can provide information on the TSS present in the water. The relationship with the TSS concentration is quite variable. In particular, the turbidity measurements are more sensitive to the presence of fine elements than to the presence of coarse elements. In addition, this method is sensitive to dissolved elements with a colouring character.
Acoustic turbidity can be applied to opaque samples, but the instrumental control necessary for its proper use makes it a rare technique.
Moreover, standard optical turbidimeters are inefficient in heavy loaded flows and need high maintenance due to fouling.