BOD

Biochemical oxygen demand or BOD is a chemical procedure for determining the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period.

It is not a precise quantitative test, although it is widely used as an indication of the quality of water. The biochemical oxygen demand is a measure of the organic strength of wastewater. In domestic wastewater, it has a range of 160 – 280 mg/L. It is also a measure of the quantity of dissolved organic pollutants that can be removed in biological oxidation by the bacteria. It is expressed in mg/l of oxygen. Some of the BOD5 (organic material) that is degraded is utilized by the bacteria in the production of new bacteria cells. The BOD5 test only measures the BOD5 (organic material) that is oxidized in bacterial respiration, so it does not measure the carbon used for cell growth.

BOD can be used as a gauge of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants. It is listed as a conventional pollutant in the U.S. Clean Water Act.

* Biochemical oxygen demand is a measure of the quantity of oxygen used by microorganisms (e.g., aerobic bacteria) in the oxidation of organic matter.
* Natural sources of organic matter include plant decay and leaf fall. However, plant growth and decay may be unnaturally accelerated when nutrients and sunlight are overly abundant due to human influence.
* Urban runoff carries pet wastes from streets and sidewalks; nutrients from lawn fertilizers; leaves, grass clippings, and paper from residential areas, which increase oxygen demand.
* Oxygen consumed in the decomposition process robs other aquatic organisms of the oxygen they need to live. Organisms that are more tolerant of lower dissolved oxygen levels may replace a diversity of more sensitive organisms.

BOD is the most commonly used parameter for determining the oxygen demand on the receiving water of a municipal or industrial discharge. BOD can also be used to evaluate the efficiency of treatment processes, and is an indirect measure of biodegradable organic compounds in water.