Which statement about turbidity is true?

Which statement about turbidity is true?

• A. It measures water hardness and alkalinity.
• B. It measures dissolved oxygen levels in water.
• C. It measures water clarity; high turbidity indicates suspended solids requiring removal.
• D. Turpidity is a measure of color intensity in water.

Answer: (C)

Turbidity measures how clear water is by quantifying the amount of suspended particles in the water. These particles—silt, clay, organic matter, and similar solids—cause cloudiness or haziness. In water treatment and monitoring, higher turbidity means more particles in suspension, which can impede disinfection and signal the need for removal steps like coagulation, flocculation, and filtration. It’s not about water hardness or alkalinity (dissolved minerals and buffering), nor about dissolved oxygen, nor about color from dissolved substances. So the true statement is that turbidity reflects water clarity, and high turbidity indicates suspended solids requiring removal.

Turbidity measures how clear water is by quantifying the amount of suspended particles in the water. These particles—silt, clay, organic matter, and similar solids—cause cloudiness or haziness. In water treatment and monitoring, higher turbidity means more particles in suspension, which can impede disinfection and signal the need for removal steps like coagulation, flocculation, and filtration. It’s not about water hardness or alkalinity (dissolved minerals and buffering), nor about dissolved oxygen, nor about color from dissolved substances. So the true statement is that turbidity reflects water clarity, and high turbidity indicates suspended solids requiring removal.