Treatment FAQ

what does the term bod mean, and why is it important in sewage treatment?

by Prof. Alessandro Yost Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

BOD In Wastewater Treatment Plants As mentioned, BOD is a key indicator of organic pollution in wastewater. This means that the industrial sector is tasked with discharging their final water product only if it meets the right level of BOD.

BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen required to remove waste organic matter from water in the process of decomposition by aerobic bacteria (those bacteria that live only in an environment containing oxygen).

Full Answer

What is bod in wastewater and why is it important?

As mentioned, BOD is a key indicator of organic pollution in wastewater. This means that the industrial sector is tasked with discharging their final water product only if it meets the right level of BOD.

What are the sources of BOD in sewage treatment?

The “Demand” part of BOD can have several different sources - natural materials like leaves and animal manure or man-made pollutants like waste from industrial activity are just a few examples of places anaerobic bacteria are borne from in our sewer collection systems.

What is a BOD test for water pollution?

A BOD test is typically carried out over a standard 5-day incubation period at 20°C (68°F) for the most accurate results. Generally, a higher BOD value indicates a higher level of water pollution, while a lower BOD value indicates less polluted, or cleaner water.

What is a BOD test and why is it important?

Municipalities can use a BOD test to detect water contamination in their public supply to ensure that it is safe for human consumption. Industries need to know their BOD value to determine when treated wastewater is safe for reuse or disposal. Several techniques are used for BOD removal in wastewater prior to reuse or safe disposal.

What is BOD and why is it important?

The BOD is an important parameter for assessing water quality. It deals with the amount of oxygen consumption (mg O2 L− 1) by aerobic biological organisms to oxidize organic compounds. Sewage with high BOD can cause a decrease in oxygen of receiving waters, which in turn can cause the death of some organism.

Why is BOD treatment important?

Importance of BOD – Biochemical oxygen demand It indicates the amount of organic pollution present in an aquatic ecosystem. BOD also measures the chemical oxidation (COD) of inorganic matter. BOD is also used in sewage treatment or wastewater treatment to destroy and decay organic wastes through the aerobic organisms.

What is BOD in waste treatment?

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure of the oxygen demand in a wastewater sample, and indicates the “strength” of organic pollution in wastewater. Determining how organic matter affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a stream or lake is integral to water quality management.

How is biochemical oxygen demand related to sewage?

Wastewater from sewage treatment plants often contains organic materials that are decomposed by microorganisms, which use oxygen in the process. (The amount of oxygen consumed by these organisms in breaking down the waste is known as the biochemical oxygen demand or BOD.

What is the BOD of sewage?

The Significance of BOD in Wastewater Treatment BOD is listed as a conventional pollutant under the U.S. Clean Water Act. Typical maximum values range from 10 mg/L for direct environmental disposal and 300 mg/L for disposal to sewer systems.

Why is it important to reduce BOD in the secondary treatment of sewage treatment plant what is the importance of Flocs?

Flocs are masses of bacteria associated with fungal filaments to form mesh like structure. Flocs digest most of the organic material from the sludge. Thus, floc helps in reducing the BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of the effluent. This helps in further treatment of sludge.

What do you understand by BOD?

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) needed (i.e. demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period.

How does BOD affect water quality?

Higher BOD indicates more oxygen is required, which is less for oxygen-demanding species to feed on, and signifies lower water quality. Inversely, low BOD means less oxygen is being removed from water, so water is generally purer.

What causes high BOD in wastewater?

Sources: BOD represents the amount of organic matter in a water supply; therefore, it increases when decaying plants, human or animal waste, and other organic compounds are added to water.

What is the relationship between BOD and organic matter in sewage?

What is relationship between BOD and organic matter in sewage ? BOD is directly proportional to the amount of organic matter in sewage that is if the BOD is high the amount of organic matter is also high whereas Low BOD denotes less organic matter.

What is biochemical oxygen demand BOD test at what stage of sewage?

Solution : The BOD test measures the rate of uptake of oxygen by microorganisms in a sample of water. Biological treatment or secondary treatment
Sample . c. is most polluted because it has highest BOD level among the three sample of water.

What is BOD and How Is It measured?

Biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD, measures the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms in decomposing organic matter in stream water. BOD also...

What is the BOD of treated sewage?

The Significance of BOD in Wastewater Treatment BOD is listed as a conventional pollutant under the U.S. Clean Water Act. Typical maximum values ra...

What is BOD treatment?

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a chemical procedure for determining the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms “bio-b...

What is BOD and COD in sewage treatment plant?

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) represents the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) consumed by biological organisms when they decompose organic mat...

Wastewater BOD And Pollution

BOD is considered to be one of the most important measurements to be taken in wastewater treatment and is a key indicator of water health and safety.

The Role BOD Plays In Water

Dissolved oxygen plays a big role in natural water sources. Without the right concentration of dissolved oxygen, aquatic life and water quality start to deteriorate.

BOD In Wastewater Treatment Plants

As mentioned, BOD is a key indicator of organic pollution in wastewater. This means that the industrial sector is tasked with discharging their final water product only if it meets the right level of BOD.

The In-Pipe Difference

Wastewater treatment is a careful biological process. The microorganisms already naturally present in the wastewater do the majority of the work when it comes to reducing harmful nutrients and push clean water back into the waterways.

In-Pipe And FOG

In-Pipe is also effective when it comes to dealing with FOG. Food-related industries are some of the most notorious sources of FOG in sewer collection systems, and the build-up can cause serious issues. These blockages require regular, labor-intensive cleaning which can be costly to do on a consistent basis.

What is a BOD value?

BOD values are generally determined and evaluated in association with other parameters (e.g., COD, DOC, POC, TOC) and this makes them more useful in formulating predictions. For example, if we consider a comparison of the measured BOD value with the COD value:

What are the conditions for determining BOD?

The conditions for determining BOD are so defined that the quantity alone of the organic materials contained in a sample limits the growth of microorganisms - i.e., the greater the number of organic nutrients present, the greater the material-exchange activity of the bacteria and , therefore, the resultant BOD.

What is the BOD of oxygen?

BOD n (Biochemical Oxygen Demand after n days) is defined in detail in German Standard DIN 38 409-H51 1 and is associated with certain experimental conditions. It represents the quantity of oxygen which is consumed in the course of aerobic processes of decomposition of organic materials, caused by microorganisms. The BOD therefore provides information on the biologically-convertible proportion of the organic content of a sample of water. This leads to the consideration of these materials in terms of their susceptibility to oxidation by the use of oxygen. BOD is stated in mg/l of oxygen and is usually measured within a period of 5 days (BOD 5 ).

What does a high BOD mean?

In general, the following assertions may be made: • a high BOD indicates a high content of easily degradable, organic material in the sample. • a low BOD indicates a low volume of organic materials, substances which are difficult to break down or other measuring problems (see below)

How long is a BOD graph?

However, in some countries a testing period of 7 days is performed. A so-called BOD-Graph can be drawn up, in which BOD values are shown in graphical form over a given period of time. A slight deviation from the kinetic described above occurs, caused by fluctuations in the rate of breakdown.

How does biodegradation occur in water?

Biodegradation of materials present in water occurs in two phases. The breakdown of carbons begins practically immediately . In the second phase, nitrification occurs, which also involves the consumption of oxygen. There are two groups of nitrifying bacteria, which catalyse the synthesis in a close relationship.

When was the first Bod measured?

In this connection, BOD is employed to determine the aerobic destructibility of organic substances. As long ago as 1870, Frankland carried out the first BOD measurements, which were very similar to the dilution method in use today (see below).

What is BOD5 in wastewater?

Typically, municipal wastewater treatment plants will use BOD5 as a measure of the organic concentration into, and through, the wastewater plant. Industrial wastewater systems will more often use COD to measure the organic concentration moving through the treatment plant. In my experience, I see TOC being used much less often (rarely) ...

What is the BOD5 test?

The BOD5 test measures the oxygen consumed by microorganisms as they oxidize (consume or eat) the soluble organic matter in the wastewater. But the BOD5 test is a somewhat unreliable means of determining the amount of organic matter present in water. The test measures only the approximate amount of oxygen that will be required ...

How long does it take to complete the Bod5 test?

Due to the length of time required to complete the BOD5 test (five days), BOD results provide historical data only and do not facilitate rapid water quality assessment for optimal process control. The often highly variable chemical composition ...

What is the purpose of a wastewater test?

The test measures only the approximate amount of oxygen that will be required (absorbed or consumed) by a wastewater when it is exposed to air or oxygen for an extended period of time. Toxic substances in the wastewater inhibit or even prevent bacterial growth and, therefore, oxidation of the organic matter.

How long does it take to test for organics in wastewater?

The often highly variable chemical composition and strength of industrial wastewater requires a much more rapid method for measuring the organic concentration, hence the use of the two hour COD test or, in some plants, the 30 minute TOC analysis.

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