Due to the incomparability between suspended sediment measurements and total suspended solids measurements, the U.S. This means that the SSC measurement tends to be higher and more representative of a water body as a whole, often measuring within 5% of the true particle concentration 7. While acceptable for homogenized or well mixed samples with very fine sediment, the TSS measurement often excludes larger suspended particles, like sand 2. Total suspended solids (TSS), while also measured in mg/L, are obtained by subsampling. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is in mg/L by filtering and drying an entire water sample. The main difference between the two is in the method of measurement 2.ĭespite the similarity in meaning, the data provided by the different measurement methods are neither interchangeable nor comparable 2. In this application, the terms “suspended sediment” and “suspended solids” are nearly interchangeable. When the sediment is floating within the water column it is considered suspended. When both floating and settled particles are monitored, they are referred to as SABS: Suspended And Bedded Sediments 4.įine sediment can be found in nearly any body of water, carried along by the water flow. In an aquatic environment, sediment can either be suspended (floating in the water column) or bedded (settled on the bottom of a body of water). Sediment is a naturally occurring element in many bodies of water, though it can be influenced by anthropogenic factors 8. However, during a flood or other high flow event, even large rocks can be classified as sediment as they are carried downstream 6. These particulates are typically small, with clay defined as particles less than 0.00195 mm in diameter, and coarse sand reaching up only to 1.5 mm in diameter 5. Most mineral sediment comes from erosion and weathering, while organic sediment is typically detritus and decomposing material such as algae 4. clay, silt and sand), decomposing organic substances and inorganic biogenic material are also considered sediment 1. While the term is often used to indicate soil-based, mineral matter (e.g. Sediment refers to the conglomerate of materials, organic and inorganic, that can be carried away by water, wind or ice 3.
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