How is the concentration of contaminants in wastewater typically expressed?

The concentration of contaminants in wastewater is commonly expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L). This unit is effective for quantifying low concentrations of substances, which is typical in wastewater. In this context, mg/L signifies the number of milligrams of a contaminant present in one liter of wastewater, providing a clear and practical measure for environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance.

While other units such as parts per million (PPM), grams per liter, or percentage are also used in various contexts, mg/L is particularly appropriate for wastewater treatment because it allows for precise measurement of the often very small quantities of contaminants present in water. PPM, for instance, can be equivalent to mg/L in dilute aqueous solutions, but mg/L is a more direct and widely accepted standard in wastewater analysis. Grams per liter is less common in this setting due to the higher concentrations it would typically indicate, and percentage concentration is usually reserved for more significant proportions or when discussing volume rather than mass.