Total solids are metals , salt , dirt , and other things in any type of water that are a solid.
Total solids in the water are bad for creatures in the water. Their are lots of total solids in the ocean and the seas. Their are not that that many total solids in streams and rivers. Lakes have about 5 of a scale of 10 of total solids in them. The first thing you have to do is go to a type of water and get a sample of water.