Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a widely used measurement of water pollution. It is an indicator of the amount of organic matter in water that is available for aerobic microorganisms to consume, and thus a measure of the potential for oxygen depletion in a water body. The BOD test measures the amount of oxygen required by microorganisms to break down the organic matter in a sample of water, over a specified period of time.
BOD is an important water quality parameter because high levels of organic matter in water can result in low dissolved oxygen levels, which can be harmful to aquatic life. BOD levels are also used to evaluate the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants, as higher levels of organic matter in the water going into the plant indicate that the plant is not effectively removing all the organic matter.
The BOD test is performed by measuring the dissolved oxygen in a water sample at the start and end of a 5-day incubation period, and then calculating the difference. The result is expressed as mg/L of oxygen consumed.
In summary, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of organic matter in water that is available for aerobic microorganisms to consume, and a measure of the potential for oxygen depletion in a water body. High BOD levels can indicate high levels of organic matter, which can result in low dissolved oxygen levels and harm to aquatic life. The BOD test is performed by measuring the difference in dissolved oxygen over a 5-day incubation period, and the result is expressed as mg/L of oxygen consumed.