Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Name:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Detailed information:
(BOD). A standardized means of estimating the degree of contamination of water supplies, especially those that receive contamination from sewage and industrial wastes. It is expressed as the quantity of dissolved oxygen (in mg/L) required during stabilization of the decomposable organic matter by aerobic biochemical action. Determination of this quantity is accomplished by diluting suitable portions of the sample with water saturated with oxygen and measuring the dissolved oxygen in the mixture both immediately and after a period of incubation, usually five days.See Sewage Sludge; Biodegradability; Dissolved Oxygen (DO); Oxygen Consumed.