Conductivity Meters

Introduction
As the number of dissolved ions increases, so does the solution's ability to carry an electrical charge. This electrical
charge is what allows a conductivity meter to measure the conductance of a solution.
The conductivity meter reports conductance as the inverse of a resistivity measurement. Resistivity is measured in
ohms/cm, so conductivity is measured in mhos/cm. A mho, a former unit of electrical conductance, is the reciprocal
of an ohm and is defined as the Seimens (S).
An important factor is that a conductivity meter normally measures electric conductivity in µS/cm, however it can
also take measurements in mg/l (for direct reading of content in dissolved solid substances). The relation is
established as follows: 2 µS/cm = 1ppm (parts per million) = 1 mg/l. Compensated temperature in the conductivity
meter can be automatic or by hand.

Conductivity
Conductivity is a measure of water’s capability to pass electrical flow. This ability is directly related to the
concentration of ions in the water. These conductive ions come from dissolved salts and inorganic materials such as
alkalis, chlorides, sulfides and carbonate compounds. Compounds that dissolve into ions are also known as
electrolytes. The more ions that are present, the higher the conductivity of water.

Specific Conductance
Specific conductance is a conductivity measurement
made at or corrected to 25° C . This is the standardized
method of reporting conductivity. As the temperature of
water will affect conductivity readings, reporting
conductivity at 25° C allows data to be easily compared .
Specific conductance is usually reported in uS/cm at 25°
C.
If a conductivity measurement is made at 25° C, it can
simply be reported as the specific conductance. If a
measurement is made at a different temperature and
corrected to 25° C, then the temperature coefficient must
be considered. The specific conductance temperature
coefficient can range depending on the measured
temperature and ionic composition of the water . A
. coefficient of 0.0191-0.02 is commonly used based on
KCl standards . NaCl-based solutions should have a
temperature coefficient of 0.02-0.0214 .
How to measure conductivity
 A conductivity meter consists of a probe that measures conductivity. A small electrical current flows
between two electrodes set a certain distance apart, usually around 1 cm. If there is a high concentration of
ions in the solution, the conductance is high, resulting in a fast current. The electrical current is slower and
gives a smaller reading when a lower concentration of ions is present.
 Many manufacturers produce different probes to measure the conductance of a solution. It is difficult to
measure the exact conductance of a solution with an amperometric probe. Conductivity meters must be
calibrated to provide accurate results.
 One of the most common designs for a conductivity meter is the 4 ring probe system. This is a
potentiometric system that provides an alternating current across all four rings. As seen in the animation,
the probe is placed into a solution and the current flowing from ring 1 to ring 4 produces a voltage across
rings 2 and 3. The amount of current is directly related to the ionic concentration of the solution, which
means the voltage is also dependent on the concentration of dissolved ions in the solution. A voltmeter in
the probe registers this voltage and sends the result to the conductivity meter, where it is translated into
the conductance of the liquid.
 A conductivity meter has the ability to measure the amount of totally dissolved solids (TDS) in a solution, in
units of parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter. The standard correlation between the TDS
measurement of a solution and the conductivity measurement is: TDS (ppm) x 2 = Conductivity (µS).
 Note that a conductivity meter only infers the actual number of ions in a solution by measuring the electric
charge of a solution. A conductivity meter is not a direct measurement of the actual number of ions
contained in the sample.

Typical Conductivity

Application

Conductivity meters are used heavily in agriculture to

measure the salinity levels of surface water and of soil
samples. Shown here is a conductivity meter being
used to measure the quality of water in a wastewater
treatment facility. In addition to conductivity, this
particular meter can be used to measure pH and
dissolved oxygen.
 Shown here is a conductivity meter that can measure
the conductance of up to 100 samples of plant
material and analyze the measurements with
available data processing equipment.
Damage to plant cellular membranes is a common
response to a stress. This damage leads to leakage of
electrolytes from the cells of stressed tissues. By
measuring this leakage with a conductivity meter, an
operator can reliably indicate the severity of the
stress on a plant.

Conductivity Change Can Indicate Pollution

A sudden increase or decrease in conductivity in a

body of water can indicate pollution. Agricultural
runoff or a sewage leak will increase conductivity due
to the additional chloride, phosphate and nitrate ions .

Advantages Disadvantages

Available as a controller or an analyzer to be Cannot distinguish between different types of ions.

implemented into process situations.

Able to make a sampling measurement in less than Conductivity meters are temperature dependent;
one second. conductance increases approximately 2% per °C.

Does not measure the number of ions in a solution

directly.

References
https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/conductivity-salinity-tds/
http://encyclopedia.che.engin.umich.edu/Pages/ProcessParameters/ConductivityMeters/ConductivityMeters.html
https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/measuring-instruments/test-meters/conductivity-meter-conductivity-tester-
kat_40072.htm