Water Quality Analysis Instruments

5 Steps to Build a Complete Water Quality Profile: From Field Screening to Laboratory Analysis

Combine portable testers, dedicated sensors, multiparameter in-the-field measurements, and laboratory equipment for rapid and conclusive results.

1. Rapid Field Screening

pH, Conductivity, TDS and Temperature ( testing drinking water, wastewater, environmental monitoring, aquaculture — routine pH checks, EC/TDS screening, temperature verification, source-water comparison and rapid site assessment)

The Hanna HI991300 Portable pH/EC/TDS Meter checks several basic water-quality parameters with one single rugged probe. The instrument measures pH, conductivity, TDS and temperature, with automatic temperature compensation and simultaneous display of temperature with pH, EC or TDS. Its waterproof IP67 housing and compact format make it particularly practical for routine field inspections. The conductivity range is 0 to 3999 µS/cm and the TDS range is 0 to 2000 ppm.

2. Conductivity and Salinity Verification

From Fresh Water to Higher-Conductivity and Saline Samples (Aquaculture, marine and coastal monitoring, drinking water, high-purity water, industrial process water — conductivity, salinity, TDS, resistivity, seawater checks and changes in dissolved ionic content)

For advanced conductivity testing, the Hanna HI98192 Waterproof Portable Conductivity Meter measures conductivity, TDS, resistivity and salinity with a single four-ring probe. The four-ring design covers a broad measurement range while reducing polarization effects associated with conventional two-pole sensors. It displays seawater salinity as % NaCl, natural seawater scale in ppt, or practical salinity units (PSU). This IP67 meter supports five-point calibration, selectable temperature compensation and data logging.

3. Oxygen and Water Clarity

Dissolved Oxygen and Turbidity (Wastewater treatment, aquaculture, drinking-water treatment, rivers and lakes — dissolved oxygen, % saturation, aeration control, fish-habitat monitoring, turbidity, filtration performance and suspended-particle assessment)

With the Hanna HI98193 Portable DO and BOD Meter, dissolved oxygen can be measured directly in the field using the supplied polarographic probe. The meter measures up to 50.00 mg/L or 600% saturation and automatically compensates for atmospheric pressure using its built-in barometer. Temperature compensation is provided by the probe, while salinity values can be entered for measurements in saline water. The instrument also includes calculations for BOD, Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) and Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate (SOUR).

Turbidity Measuring (Drinking water, wastewater, rivers and lakes — turbidity, filtration efficiency, treatment monitoring and suspended-particle screening)

For suspended-particle and water-clarity measurements, the Hanna HI98703 Portable Turbidity Meter provides a ready field solution. With an accuracy of ±2% of the reading plus 0.02 NTU, it comes with primary turbidity standards for calibration and performance verification. Perform optical measurements of water clarity and electrochemical measurements of pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen.

4. Complete Multiparameter Field Profiling

Several Water-Quality Parameters at One Sampling Location (Environmental consulting, surface water, groundwater, mining, aquaculture — pH, ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature profiling, site comparison, depth surveys and long-term water-quality monitoring)

For more comprehensive environmental surveys, the Hanna HI9829 Multiparameter Water Quality Meter can monitor up to 14 water-quality parameters. Depending on its sensor configuration, the probe can measure pH, ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, ammonium, chloride, nitrate and temperature. Versions are available with 4, 10 or 20 m cables, and the probe is rated IP68 for continuous immersion. Optional GPS can record sampling locations while its logging features allow field results to be stored for later analysis.

5. Targeted Laboratory Analysis

Photometry, Spectrophotometry and Titration (Municipal water and wastewater, environmental laboratories, industrial effluent, food and beverage, process water — COD, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorine, alkalinity, hardness, nitrate, metals and other method-specific chemical analyses)

When field measurements need to be complemented by analysis of specific chemical parameters, the Hanna HI83399 Multiparameter Photometer and pH Meterprovides 73 programmed methods of analysis. It covers 40 key water and wastewater parameters, including COD, total nitrogen and total phosphorus for wastewater-treatment monitoring. It also functions as a laboratory pH meter, allowing photometric and electrochemical measurements to be performed with the same benchtop instrument.

Flexible Multi-Parameter Chemical Analysis

For laboratories that require greater flexibility in method selection, the Hanna HI801 Iris Visible Spectrophotometer operates across the 340 to 900 nm visible wavelength range. It includes more than 80 pre-programmed chemical-analysis methods and also allows users to create custom methods and calibration curves. Results can be expressed as transmittance, absorbance or concentration, and data can be exported by USB in PDF or CSV format.

Precise Endpoint-Based Chemical Analysis

For analyses based on a titration endpoint, theHanna HI931 Automatic Potentiometric Titratorautomates acid-base, redox and selective-ion titrations. Its 40,000-step dosing pump delivers small controlled volumes of titrant, while up to 100 methods can be stored for repeat testing. This makes titration a complementary option when the required water-analysis method is based on a chemical reaction rather than direct sensor or optical measurement.