Computing Total Dissolved Solids

RockWorks | Utilities | HydroChem | Total Dissolved Solids

This program reads a listing of ion concentrations from the datasheet and computes total dissolved solids for each sample. The computations are stored in a column in the datasheet.

Total dissolved solids represent the sum of all "declared" ions, as listed in the Data Input Columns, in the parts per million (or milligrams per liter) units read from the Utilities datasheet.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Input Columns: The prompts along the left side of the window tell RockWorks which columns in the input datasheet contain what data.
  Click on an existing name to select a different name from the drop-down list. (More about the input data.) 
  • Sample ID: If you have sample numbers listed for your sites, choose the column where these are listed. T
  • Symbol:  Choose the column that lists specific symbols for the individual samples.
  • Na, K, Ca, Mg: Choose the columns that list these required cations.  The measurements must be listed in ppm or mg/l units.
  • Cl, HCO3, CO3, SO4: Choose the columns that list these required anions.  The measurements must be listed in ppm or mg/l units.
  • Cation A, B, C, D: If you are including any additional cations (see Additional Cations, below), choose their columns here.  
  • Anion A, B, C, D: If you are including any additional anions (see Additional Anions, below), choose their columns here.
    
    
• Output Column: This prompt tells RockWorks where to store the computed values. 
  • TDS:  Select the column in the datasheet into which the total dissolved solids computations will be recorded. 
    ! Any existing data in this column will be overwritten.
    
    
• Additional Cations:  In the middle pane of the program window, expand this heading to turn on up to 4 additional (non-standard) cat ions to be included in the TDS computations. Click in each check-box to turn an ion on or off.  Be sure that the ions are correctly identified in the input columns to the left.  
  ! Note: conversion factors are not used in the TDS computations.  TDS simply represents the sum of the ppm or mg/l concentrations listed in the datasheet.
  
  
• Additional Anions: Expand this heading to turn on up to 4 additional, non-standard, anions to be included in the TDS computations.  Click in each check-box to turn an ion on or off.  Be sure that the ions are correctly identified in the input columns to the left. 
  ! Note that the conversion factors are not used in the computations.
  
  

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
2. Create a new datasheet and enter/import your hydrochemistry data into the datasheet.
   Or, open one of the sample files and replace that data with your own. (In the Samples folder, an example file = "RockWorks17 Data\ Samples\Hydrochemistry_01.rwDat".)
3. Select the HydroChem | Total Dissolved Solids menu option.
4. Enter the requested menu items, as described above.
5. Click the Process button to continue.

The program will read the concentrations of standard and additional ions, compute their total for each sample, and record the totals in the selected column in the datasheet.

Tips: Use the Map | Grid-based Map tool to create a contour map of the total dissolved solids (providing there are X,Y sample locations listed in the datasheet).

Back to Hydrochemistry Menu Summary

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