BOD

INTRODUCTION

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 organic quality of water.[1] . It is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen
consumed per litre of sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 C and is often used as a robust
surrogate of the degree of organic pollution of water.

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.

THEORY

In this test, the dissolved oxygen level of a water sample is measured five days
after it was collected. On the day of collection, the DO level is measured in an
initial sample. The biochemical oxygen demand is the difference between DO
levels in the two samples, so the level of the original sample must be known.

To measure the DO we perform the winkler (iodometric) method

Measure DO level from the initial sample

We can use the same method to measure the DO level of the 5 day old sample.

The first bottle should be analyzed just prior to storing the second sample bottle in the dark
for 5 days at 20 C. After this time, the second bottle is tested for dissolved oxygen using the
same method that was used for the first bottle. The BOD i s expressed in milligrams per liter
of DO using the following equation:

DO (mg/L) of first bottle

- DO (mg/L) of second bottle
= BOD (mg/L)
 APARATUS

CONCLUSION

Typical BOD values

Most pristine rivers will have a 5-day carbonaceous BOD below 1 mg/L. Moderately polluted
rivers may have a BOD value in the range of 2 to 8 mg/L. Municipal sewage that is
efficiently treated by a three-stage process would have a value of about 20 mg/L or less.
Untreated sewage varies, but averages around 600 mg/L in Europe and as low as 200 mg/L in
the U.S., or where there is severe groundwater or surface water infiltration. (The generally
lower values in the U.S. derive from the much greater water use per capita than in other parts
of the world.)[1]
DISCUSSION

The rate of oxygen consumption in a stream is affected by a number of variables: temperature, pH,
the presence of certain kinds of microorganisms, and the type of organic and inorganic material in
the water

Sources of BOD include leaves and woody debris; dead plants and animals; animal manure; effluents
from pulp and paper mills, wastewater treatment plants, feedlots, and food-processing plants;
failing septic systems; and urban stormwater runoff.

Practical

It is important to note the time of your DO sampling to help judge when in the daily cycle the data
were collected.

DO samples are collected using a special BOD bottle: a glass bottle with a "turtleneck" and a ground
glass stopper. You can fill the bottle directly in the stream if the stream is wadable or boatable, or
you can use a sampler that is dropped from a bridge or boat into water deep enough to submerse
the sampler. Samplers can be made or purchased. Dissolved oxygen is measured primarily either by
using some variation of the Winkler method or by using a meter and probe.

If you are using a variation of the Winkler method, it is possible to "fix" the sample in the field and
then deliver it to a lab for titration. This might be preferable if you are sampling under adverse
conditions or if you want to reduce the time spent collecting samples. It is also a little easier to
titrate samples in the lab, and more quality control is possible because the same person can do all
the titrations.

Sometimes by the end of the 5-day incubation period the dissolved oxygen level is zero. This is
especially true for rivers and streams with a lot of organic pollution. Since it is not known when the
zero point was reached, it is not possible to tell what the BOD level is. In this case it is necessary to
dilute the original sample by a factor that results in a final dissolved oxygen level of at least 2 mg/L.
Special dilution water should be used for the dilutions

sealing the sample to prevent further oxygen dissolving in. The sample

The sample is kept at 20 °C in the dark to prevent photosynthesis (and thereby the addition of
oxygen) for five days,

For measurement of carbonaceous BOD (cBOD), a nitrification inhibitor is added after the dilution
water has been added to the sample. The inhibitor hinders the oxidation of nitrogen.

industry
 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.
DO levels fluctuate seasonally and over a 24-hour period. They vary with water temperature and
altitude. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water (Table 5.3) and water holds less oxygen at
higher altitudes. Thermal discharges, such as water used to cool machinery in a manufacturing plant
or a power plant, raise the temperature of water and lower its oxygen content. Aquatic animals are
most vulnerable to lowered DO levels in the early morning on hot summer days when stream flows
are low, water temperatures are high, and aquatic plants have not been producing oxygen since
sunset.

In contrast to lakes, where DO levels are most likely to vary vertically in the water column, the DO in
rivers and streams changes more horizontally along the course of the waterway. This is especially
true in smaller, shallower streams. In larger, deeper rivers, some vertical stratification of dissolved
oxygen might occur. The DO levels in and below riffle areas, waterfalls, or dam spillways are typically
higher than those in pools and slower-moving stretches. If you wanted to measure the effect of a
dam, it would be important to sample for DO behind the dam, immediately below the spillway, and
upstream of the dam. Since DO levels are critical to fish, a good place to sample is in the pools that
fish tend to favor or in the spawning areas they use.

Chlorine can also affect BOD measurement by inhibiting or killing the microorganisms that
decompose the organic and inorganic matter in a sample. If you are sampling in chlorinated waters,
such as those below the effluent from a sewage treatment plant, it is necessary to neutralize the
chlorine with sodium thiosulfate.

Note...

REFFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemical_oxygen_demand
http://water.epa.gov