Colorimetry is one of the most reliable forms of water analysis and is used to test for a wide array of analytes. The target analyte causes the sample solution to change color proportionally to its concentration in the solution, and that change can be measured visually or instrumentally.

Analysts have traditionally prepared reagents in bulk from scratch from individual chemical components kept on hand. Test procedures have involved making multiple volume and mass measurements with training required to master these techniques.

Colorimetric water analysis test kits offer advantages to the analyst in that they save time, are appropriate for field applications, and are generally user-friendly. Relatively unskilled staff can be trained to make accurate determinations using premixed liquid or solid reagents delivered in kit packaging. Colorimetric test kits are among the simplest, quickest and most adaptable means by which water analysis may be performed in a host of environments and conditions.

Popular uses

One common application of colorimetric testing is to spot check systems between reporting periods to document whether processes remain under control. Colorimetric test kits are also used alongside online analyzers to verify their performance. Many colorimetric test methods have been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and accepted for monitoring drinking water and wastewater. Examples include chemical oxygen demand and chlorine.

Colorimetric test kits continue to be practical tools for analysts. Their low cost, convenience, flexibility, accuracy and efficiency appeal to users in all industries. As testing needs evolve, colorimetric water analysis will continue to be an indispensable mainstay in the range of testing options. 

CHEMetrics has provided a full line of visual and instrumental colorimetric water testing products for analysts for more than 50 years.

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