Improved !

Turbidity Wedge, Generation II

 

Enviroscopics Visual Clarity Wedge 
aka: Turbidity Wedge / Secchi Wedge

  Viewing Window Sliding Target Reading Scale Product Info Target

 

ENVIROSCOPICS VISUAL CLARITY WEDGE / TURBIDITY WEDGE

The Enviroscopics Visual Clarity Wedge (EVCW) or Secchi Wedge is an inexpensive supplement to the electronic turbidimeter and can be used for estimating and tracking changes in turbidity levels.

This tool is the improved evolutionary descendant of the Triton Turbidity Wedge, which was developed by the same designer for water quality monitoring on the Vancouver Island Highway Project and has been in use by environmental professionals in the private and public sectors for the past 8 Years.

Improvements include:

1) Continuous rather than incremental scale.

2) Sliding cursor with "Secchi Disc" type target pattern produces more objectivity in the determination of values.

3) Direct measurement in cm and direct approximations of Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

4) Tougher construction (1/4" Acrylic body)

The Design

Like its pre-cursor, the EVCW is used to measure the distance to extinction of an image by horizontal viewing through a fluid contained within the vessel. The vertically tapered body with opposing viewing window and target plate allows for a range of viewing distanced from 0 to 20 cm. This provides for an approximation of turbidity values from about 50 NTU and up.

Unlike the former unit, in which the target plate was also the reading scale, this unit uses a moving "Secchi Disc" type target design, which requires the measurement to be set prior to being read which must be done by looking at the reverse side of the instrument.

The moving target, while being designed after a well established pattern in use for many years in the Secchi Disc, provides a much more effective visual cue than a static pattern as our visual sense is stimulated by movement. When moving the target back and forth through the medium, we can either see the movement or not. In contrast, looking at a static, repeating pattern, fading gradually out of sight, can be confusing, as our brain is very good at filling in missing information for us.

Benefits

1) The wedge, being a manual tool contains no batteries or sensitive electronics, prone to break down under rugged field conditions.

2) It can be used as a routine measuring tool or as a back-up to electronic instruments.

3) As well as providing a measurement of turbidity, the tool provides an opportunity for observation of other characteristics of the sample material such as the types of suspended and floating or settling material, colour etc.

4) Hands on contact can help to eliminate a tendency common to electronics of providing unfounded numbers that may be the result of instrument malfunction or reading error.

5) Cost is less than 1/10 that of an electronic instrument

$250 Canadian

 

More Info !!

 

  WATER QUALITY LINKS

Charles Newcombe of the BC Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection has made available a downloadable pdf copy of the following water quality documents at the provincial government  ftp site.

 

1) Impact Assessment Model for Clear Water Fishes Exposed to Excessively Cloudy Water, Published in June 2003 in the Journal of American Water Resources Association

 

2) A two page field reference manual, suitable for high quality printing and lamination

 

To Access, click on the following url.

You will want all 3 files

 

Pacific Stream Keepers Kit
The Streamkeepers Program has assembled equipment kits at several locations in the province. These kits contain benthic invertebrate samplers, water quality test kits, and surveying supplies.
http://www.pskf.ca/resources/kit.html

IN THE NEWS

Clampdown on miners muddying waters,November 19, 2003
 http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/gynewsjs.htm

Welcome to guyanachronicle.com sports
... up its monitoring measures through the introduction of a turbidity wedge. ...
to have each mining camp equipped with a turbidity wedge by January 2004. ...
www.guyanachronicle.com/ ARCHIVES/archive%20%2012-11-03.html

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OFFICE KNOB HILL WIND FARM ASSESSMENT REPORT
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... events during major rainstorms, using an Enviroscopics Vi






Contact Info:

Enviroscopics Services and Products
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
250 741 7983

info@enviroscopics.com