Abstract
Abstract. This paper proposes a three-parameter mathematical model to describe the particle size distribution in a water sample. The proposed model offers some conceptual advantages over two other models reported on previously, and also provides a better fit to the particle counting data obtained from 321 water samples taken over three years at a large South African drinking water supplier. Using the data from raw water samples taken from a moderately turbid, large surface impoundment, as well as samples from the same water after treatment, typical ranges of the model parameters are presented for both raw and treated water. Once calibrated, the model allows the calculation and comparison of total particle number and volumes over any randomly selected size interval of interest.
Highlights
The power of particle counters to provide a detailed description of the numbers and sizes of particles in a suspension is often not fully exploited, its potential had been realised some decades ago in fields as diverse as phycology and water treatment (Sheldon, 1979; Lewis and Manz, 1991)
A method is required to compact the multitude of numbers from every count to as few as possible parameters to offer a reliable description of the particle size distribution
The model will be applied to a large data set of particle counts collected before and after treatment at a large South African drinking water supplier
Summary
The power of particle counters to provide a detailed description of the numbers and sizes of particles in a suspension is often not fully exploited, its potential had been realised some decades ago in fields as diverse as phycology and water treatment (Sheldon, 1979; Lewis and Manz, 1991). A method is required to compact the multitude of numbers from every count to as few as possible parameters to offer a reliable description of the particle size distribution. A second useful application of a generalised description is to allow the comparison of particle counts made by different particle counters with their own unique channel size settings. Such models have been proposed and used in the past. The model will be applied to a large data set of particle counts collected before and after treatment at a large South African drinking water supplier
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