Experiment 2

Chlorine Residual Determination using the DPD Colorimetric Method

1. Why is the measurement of chlorine residual important? (2 marks)

Measuring the chlorine residual in a water supply is a simple but important method of checking that the
water that is being delivered is safe to drink. Chlorine is added to drinking water to kill the microorganisms
which cause typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A and other diarrhoeal diseases. Chlorine testing is important for the
following reasons.

• If there is not enough chlorine in the water, the microorganisms will not be killed.

• If there is too much chlorine in the water, the users may not want to drink it because of the taste of
chlorine and may be tempted to use other less safe water supplies.
One of the advantages of chlorine as a disinfectant is that it is easy to measure both in a laboratory and in the
field. Another advantage is that when chlorine is dosed correctly, it leaves a disinfectant residual which
helps to prevent recontamination in the distribution system or household storage tank. When chlorine cannot
be detected in a distribution system, this may indicate that contamination has entered the system or that the
dosing is incorrect.

Three types of chlorine residual can be measured:

• Free chlorine – Which kills microorganisms most effectively.

• Combined chlorine – formed when free chlorine reacts with other chemicals in the water.
• Total chlorine – the sum of free and combined chlorine.

2. List the factors that determine the chlorine dosage.(2 marks)

The amount of chlorine added (referred to as the chlorine dosage) depends upon below factors

• Water pH
• Temperature
• Amount of turbidity
• Amount of ammonia present
Prior to reacting with microorganisms, the free chlorine reacts with many constituents naturally present in
the water before a detectable residual is measured. The amount of chlorine consumed by constituents in the
water is referred to as the chlorine demand. The difference between the chlorine dosage (amount added) and
the chlorine demand (amount consumed) is the chlorine residual. They are related by the following formula:

Chlorine Dosage (mg/L) = Chlorine Demand (mg/L) + Chlorine Residual (mg/L)

3. Determine the amount of 100mg/L stock solution required to prepare 100mL of each of the
dilutions, 0.1mg/L, 0.2mg/L, 0.5mg/L, 1.0mg/L, and 2.0mg/L to be measured in this experiment. Show
one example of the calculation.(4 marks)

Determine the amount as per below equation:

C1V1=C2V2
Where:
C1 = Concentration of t h e stock solution
V1 = Volume of t h e stock solution
C2 = Concentration of t h e working solution
V2 = Volume of t h e working solution

Example:

C1 = 100 mg/L
V1 = Volume of t h e stock solution
C2 = 0.1 mg/L
V2 = 100 ml

So, 100 mg/L X V1 = 0.1 mg/L X 100 ml

0.1 mg/L X 100 ml

V1 =
100 mg/L

V1 = 0.1 ml

So we require 0.1 ml solution from 100mg/L stock solution to prepare 100 ml with 0.1 mg/L concentration.
Same as above calculation we can make all solution as below.

0.2mg/L = 0.2mL/100mL
0.5mg/L = 0.5mL/100mL
1.0mg/L = 1.0mL/100mL
2.0mg/L = 2.0mL/100mL