FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


Total Ammonia (NH3 + NH4+) Ammonia (NH3) occurs in groundwater primarily as the
ammonium ion (NH4 ) because of the prevalent pH and reduction-oxidation potential
(Upchurch, 1992). Microbial activity within the soil and aquifer can convert other nitroge-
nous products to ammonium. There is no set standard for ammonia in Florida groundwa-
ter.

Total Dissolved Solids Total dissolved solids is a measure of the dissolved chemical con-
stituents, primarily ions, in spring water. Concentrations in Florida's spring water vary
widely. Since most of Florida's spring water issues from carbonate aquifers, the total dis-
solved solid concentrations are fairly high. Higher concentrations are found in springs that
are tidally influenced and springs that discharge into the marine environment. The Florida
Secondary Drinking Water Standard for total dissolved solids is 500 mg/L.

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen This is a measure of the sum of the ammonia nitrogen and
organic nitrogen in the spring water sample. The ammonia nitrogen, mainly occurring as
ammonium (NH4+), occurs in trace amounts in spring water (see ammonia (NH3) above).
Organic nitrogen originates from biological sources including sewage and other waste. DEP
regulates nitrogen, in the form of nitrates and nitrites, in drinking water in Florida (see pre-
vious descriptions above).

Total Nitrogen The amount of nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and organic nitrogen, when
summed, gives the total nitrogen content of spring water. See description of each nitrogen
compound for regulation standards in Florida.

Total Suspended Solids This refers to the amount of solid material suspended in the
water column. As opposed to turbidity, total suspended solids does not take into account the
light scattering ability of the water. Total suspended solids are filtered out of the water
sample and are measured in mg/L.

Turbidity Turbidity is a measure of the colloidal suspension of tiny particles and precip-
itates in spring water. High turbidity water impedes the penetration of light and can be
harmful to aquatic life. Most Florida springs discharge water low in turbidity. Turbidity is
measured in Nephlometric Turbidity Units (NTU's).

Trace Metals

 Trace metals analyzed for this report include: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), boron (B), cal-
cium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), fluoride (F), iron (Fe),
lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorous (P), selenium (Se),
strontium (Sr), tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn). Trace metals, when present in spring water, are found
in very low concentrations and are measured in parts per billion (ppb), or micrograms per
liter (pAg/L). In Florida, calcium and magnesium occur in higher concentrations and are
therefore measured in milligrams per liter.

 The naturally low abundance of trace metals in Florida's groundwater can be attributed
to several factors including low natural abundance in aquifer rocks, low solubility of metal
bearing minerals, high adsorption potential of metal ions on clays and organic particulates,
and precipitation in the form of sulfides and oxides (Upchurch, 1992). Many biochemical
processes require small amounts of trace metals however, higher concentrations can be