A turbidity meter is a specialized instrument used to determine the turbidity of water. Its core measurement principle is light scattering, which quantifies turbidity by detecting the intensity of light scattered by suspended particles in the water at a 90° angle to incident light. Results are typically expressed in NTU or FTU units. Depending on the application, turbidity meters are mainly categorized into portable, benchtop, and online types, featuring rapid response and data traceability. They are widely used in drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring, and water quality control and safety assessment in industrial processes such as food and pharmaceuticals.
The application of turbidity meters has expanded from traditional hydrological station sediment concentration measurements to fields such as deep-sea exploration and air pollution monitoring. By measuring planktonic microorganisms, organic matter, and other pollutants in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies, the degree of water pollution can be determined. Turbidity measurements can reveal the turbidity of deep-sea waters, providing turbidity parameters for the discovery and development of deep-sea mineral deposits, such as hydrothermal vents and natural gas hydrate resources. In the atmospheric field, turbidity meters are used to measure the content of pollutants in the air to determine the degree of air pollution, such as measuring suspended particulate matter. The development of modern turbidimeters is moving towards higher quality, more multifunctionality, integration, automation, systematization, and intelligence.
