COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

1.0 OBJECTIVES
To determine the organic oxidize able matters content of water samples.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the study, the students will be able:

a. To understand the oxidation of oxidize able matter with a known amount of potassium
chromate, the titration of excess chromate, and the calculation of oxygen used.
b. To identify the organic oxidize able matter pollutant content in water samples.
c. To evaluate the water quality status at the location of water or wastewater sampling
point.
d. To choose the appropriate analytical methodology for measuring COD parameter.

3.0 THEORY

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the amount of oxygen consumed to completely
chemically oxidize the organic water constituents to inorganic end products. COD is an
important, rapidly measured variable for the approximate determination of the organic matter
content of water samples. Some water samples may contain substances that are difficult to
oxidize. In these cases, because of incomplete oxidation under the given test methods, COD
values may be a poor measure of the theoretical oxygen demand. It should also be noted that
the significance of the COD value depends on the composition of the water studied.

COD is used as a measurement of pollutants in natural and waste waters to assess the
strength of discharged waste such as sewage and industrial effluent waters. It is normally
measured in both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants and gives an
indication of the efficiency of the treatment process. The dichromate reflux method is
preferred over procedures using other oxidants because of superior oxidizing ability,
applicability to a wide variety of samples, and ease of manipulation. Oxidation of most
organic compounds is 95-100% the theoretical value.

4.0 EQUIPMENT
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

COD Reflux System – consisting Erlenmeyer flask (250 mL or 500 mL) with ground-
glass 24/40 neck and 300-mm jacket Liebig West, or equivalent condenser with 24/40
ground-glass joint, and a hot plate having sufficient power to produce at least 1.4
W/cm2 of heating surface.
1.0 Burette
2.0 Pipette
3.0 Glass beads
4.0 Magnetic stirrer bars

5.0 PROCEDURE:

1. Sample is carried out by including materials into Erlenmeyer flask according

following order:

a) Prepare beaker 1 to 90mL waste water sample and beaker water 2 to 90 mL tap
water.
b) include inside beaker 1 and 2:
i. 0.0417M K2Cr2O7 - 10mL
ii. concentrated sulphuric acid (which contains Ag2So4)* - 30mL
c) make sure sulphuric acid poured into flask reflux gradually as stir to avoid
water vapour loss

Boil flask reflux (vaporization and perspiration) long 1 hours. Boiling could prevent
organic substances boiling over of lost. While waiting 1 hours, another experiment
on how to find the normality was being carried out
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

3 After 1 hours flask left up to cold. Condenser is washed with

flute and refrigeration water continued. Condenser take off.

4 Distilled water blend until volume achieve 140 mL. 2 to 3 solution drop indicator
ferrion (1-10 fenantrolin). magnet stem included and is stirred use magnetic stirrer

5. Ammonia ferric sulphate (0.25M) has been standardized titrated to fixed color to the
first emerges. Alert because point color final can be change quickly. First and final
reading burette is being recorded.

6. Ability provision titration: ammonium solution iron (II) sulphate prepared as

follows:
a) 90 mL distilled water and 10mL K2Cr2O7 standard (0.0147 M) included inside
250mL cone's flask. And shaked it slowly
b) 30mL sulphuric acid H2SO4 added by careful and gradually concentrated acid
and coolness
c) 2 to 3 indicator drop ferroin and titrated with ferrous ammonium sulphate and
stir in slow. Titration discontinued after colour changed from blue greenness to
red-brown.
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

blue greenness to red-brown.

6.0 DATA AND CALCULATION

NORMALITY FIRST READING LAST READING

1st 9 ml 19 ml

10
x 0.25
19  9

= 0.25 * ( 0.23 – 0.28) OK !!!

Waste water Tap water

COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

DATA: DATA :

First Reading 15.8 First Reading 5

Last Reading 23 Last Reading 15.8
Volume Reading 0.18 Volume Reading 0.27

CALCULATION : CALCULATION :

10 10
x0.25 x 0.25
23  15.8 15.8  5

= 0.18 = 0.27

COD CALCULATION :

= 0.85 mg/l nok tok xtauk

COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

7.0 DATA AND ANALYSIS

8.0 DISCUSSION

1. What is the purpose of using blank sample in the experiment?

- The main reason for using the blank sample is to control the volume of
organic material in the sample. COD was carried out to measure the oxygen
demand of organic compounds in a sample of water, and we have to ensure there
were no accidentally outside organic materials added to the sample to be
measured. A blank sample is created by adding the reagents to a volume of
distilled water. Both water and blank sample will be compared. The oxygen
demand for the blank sample is subtracted from the COD for the original sample
to ensure the true measurement of organic matter.
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

2. What is the objective of COD test and what is the different between COD and
BOD test?
- The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the amount of oxygen consumed to
completely chemically oxidize the organic water constituents to inorganic end
products. It was carrying out to determine the organic oxidize able matters content
of water samples. While, Biochemical Oxygen Demand is a common,
environmental procedure for determining the extent to which oxygen within a
sample can support microbial life.

- While BOD describes the biological oxidation capacity of a wastewater, it is

not a measure of the total potential oxidation of the organic compounds present in
the wastewater. A number of chemical tests are used to measure this parameter,
either in terms of the oxygen required for virtually complete oxidation, or in terms
of the element carbon. Probably the most common test for estimating industrial
wastewater strength is the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Test. This test
essentially measures the chemical oxidation of the wastewater by a strong
oxidizing agent in an acid solution. The value for the COD test is always greater
than the BOD test and is not always a good indication of BOD values for the same
waste.

- Because the COD test oxidizes both biologically degradable and

unbiodegradable organic materials, the energy available for biological action is
usually overestimated. However, this does not reduce the usefulness of the test. If
it is assumed that the fraction of organic material that is not oxidized in the COD
test remains constant, then any change in COD between two points in the process
provides an assessment (in terms of oxygen) of corresponding energy change. The
change in COD then can be used to establish the kinetics of energy conversion in
the process, i.e., the energy removal can be directly linked to the COD change. By
contrast, BOD5 values require a correction factor to correspond the energy
changes, because the test values do not reflect the total oxygen demand.
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

3. Why the COD’s value needs to be monitor for the polluted surface water such
as in lakes and rivers as well as for waste water?
- In environmental, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) test is commonly used
to indirectly measure the amount of organic compounds in water. Most
applications of COD determine the amount of organic pollutants found in surface
water such as lakes and rivers, making COD a useful measure of water quality.
The amount of organic mater in the lake or river will show the index of the water
quality and we also can categorize whether the lake or river extremely polluted or
not.

9.0 CONCLUSION

The result we have during the test lab of COD after the analysis and calculation actually
are succeed and is not more different from the accurate reading when to do until third test, at
first test lab we got the 0.297 for NAS, we have the result is bad and not accurate, the result
must in range 0.23 – 0.28 in NAS, and from NAS, the calculation of COD can make to get
the result for the sample.

The was on experimental of my group, result had we got are not accurate because the
range has the provide is place at out, after the experiment try again, we obtain the result are
present at in the range, so from mistake data we obtain, we can say the experiment has we do
the time when the sample in distilled water plus with reagent, then agen chemical sulphuric
together, let the sample are cooled in warm, after that 2 to 3 indicator drop ferroin and titrated
with ferrous ammonium sulphate and stir in slow, titration discontinued after colour changed
from blue greenness to red-brown, that should be, but my group has identified and post
mortem, the answer we are slow and to late acting for discontinued of the titration, so that the
reading of the ammonium sulphate are had we take are less even one driblets. The one
driblets are able to change the data for calculation of COD.

The lastly after got the result of NAS are in range, so we proceed to get the COD with
another calculation, the result of NAS are to will use for calculation of COD, from
calculation, were obtain 0.85 mg/l for COD. The sample are were use for 0.85 mg/l is amount
COD TEST (GROUP 3) – SECTION 4 BFC 32501

of oxygen (COD) consumed to completely chemically oxidize the organic water constituents
to inorganic end products. Now the student know why the conclusion or result is must need in
the each the experimental.

8.0 REFERENCES

1. http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/protocol_guide.pdf

2. www.norweco.com/html/lab/test_methods/5220bfp.htm

3. www.pavloschemicals.com/lab

4. www.labseeker.com/labsupplies/lablist