The two main distinctive qualities that show the strength of sewage is chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD). Both variables assess the wastewaters' ability to demand oxygen. The amount of oxygen that bacteria need to consume to decompose organic materials is known as the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The quantity of oxygen needed to oxidize the organic material, in contrast, is known as the chemical oxygen demand, or COD.
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) | Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) |
It is the quantity of oxygen needed by bacteria to break down organic materials in an aerobic environment. | It is the overall amount of oxygen needed to chemically oxidise organic materials and break them down. |
A sealed water sample must be exposed to a certain temperature range for five days in order to be determined. | It can be discovered by exposing a water sample to a potent oxidizer for a certain amount of time at a predetermined temperature. |
In treatment plants, it is employed to handle waste loadings. | In treatment plants, it is employed to determine how much oxidisable contaminants are present in water bodies. |
The standard method for assessing the relative "strength" of a wastewater sample is to conduct analytical tests that try to quantify the amount of organic (i.e., carbon-containing) matter present (often expressed in mg/L (milligrams per litre) or ppm (parts per million) ). To ascertain the gross amount of organic matter (i.e., concentrations > 1.0 mg/L) in wastewater, four standard laboratory procedures are employed today:
1. BOD (biochemical oxygen demand)
2. COD (chemical oxygen demand)
3. TOC (total organic carbon)
4. O&G (oil and grease)
The amount of non-volatile hydrocarbons (also known as petroleum derivatives), vegetable oils, animal fats, waxes, soaps, greases, and associated materials in a sample is determined by oil and grease testing.