What is Biochemical Oxygen Demand ?

Biochemical oxygen demand or biological oxygen

demand is 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 one of the most common measures of pollutant
organic material in water. BOD indicates the
amount of organic matter present in water.



The rate of oxygen consumption in a stream
is affected by a number of variables:


temperature,
pH
presence of certain kinds of microorganisms
type of organic and inorganic material in the water.
The BOD can be measured by BOD meter or by using
Methylene Blue Solution
The level of water pollution can be tested
by determining the biochemical oxygen
demand (BOD) value
BOD values are measured as the mass of oxygen (in
mg) used in 1 dm^3 of water kept at 20 C for 5 days .

At high BOD levels ,organisms that are more tolerant
towards low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (ex:
leeches and sludge worms ) may appear and multiply .

Organisms that need higher oxygen levels (ex:
freshwater shrimps and mayfly nymphs) will not be
able to survive .

If oxygen levels continue to drop and the water
becomes completely deoxygenated , anaerobic
bacteria will multiply quickly and release toxic gases
such as hydrogen sulphide
Environmental Significance
BOD is the principle test to give an idea of the
biodegradability of any sample and strength of the waste .
Hence the amount of pollution can be easily measured by it .

The determination of BOD is used in studies to measure the
self-purification capacity of streams and serves regulatory
authorities as a means of checking on the quality of effluents
discharged to stream waters .

The BOD test is among the most important method in
sanitary analysis to determine the polluting power or strength
of sewage , industrial wastes or polluted water .


One form of water pollution is by organic wastes which serve as food
for micro-organisms. The micro-organisms multiply on this food
supply and use up oxygen in the water, which then is unavailable for
other forms of life. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure of
the rate at which oxygen is being removed from sample of water. This
is the standard test used at Sewerage Treatment Plants.

Dissolved oxygen (DO - amount of dissolved oxygen in water) is
consumed by bacteria when large amounts of organic matter from
sewage or other discharges are present in the water.

When Organic matter such as dead plants, leaves, grass clippings,
manure, sewage, or even food waste is present in a water supply, the
bacteria will begin the process of breaking down this waste.

When this happens, much of the available dissolved oxygen is
consumed by aerobic bacteria, robbing other aquatic organisms of
the oxygen they need to live. When the DO becomes too low, the
aquatic organisms in that water are unable to continue at a normal
rate.



a Low BOD is an indicator of good quality water,
a High BOD indicates polluted water.


Conclusion
Global Warming
Global warming is when the earth heats up and the temperature
increases
More recently, the temperatures have been rising, causing more
dangers for people, animals, plants and our environment.
What Is Global Warming?
Electrical pollution is a main cause for Global Warming. Mostly, fossil fuels are
burned to create electricity and are made of dead plants and animals. Some
examples of fossil fuels are oil and petroleum. Many pollutants (chemicals that
pollute the air, water, and land) are sent into the air when fossil fuels are burned.
Some of these chemicals are called greenhouse gasses.

Petroleum, one of the sources of energy, is used a lot. It is used for
transportation, making electricity, and making many other things. Although this
source of energy gives off a lot of pollution, it is used for 38% of the United
States energy .

When we throw our garbage away, the garbage goes to landfills. They are full of
garbage. The garbage is then sometimes burned. This sends an enormous
amount of greenhouse gasses into the air and makes global warming even worse.
Another factor that makes global warming worse is when trees are cut down.
Trees and other plants collect and absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a
greenhouse gas .
Factor of Global Warming
Results of Global Warming
Global warming is affecting many parts of the world, including
melting glaciers, creating the sea to rise even more, and when that
happens, the water covers many low land islands.

Global Warming also destroys many huge forests. The pollution that
causes global warming is linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually
destroys almost everything it touches. Global warming is also causing
many more fires that wipe out whole forests. This happens because
global warming can make the earth very hot. In forests, some plants
and trees leaves can be so dry that can catch on fire.
How to overcome global warming
Reduce Fossil Fuel Use
Burning fossil fuels increases the levels of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. There are two ways to reduce fossil fuel use: Use less energy,
or use alternative, non-polluting energy sources like solar and wind power.
At home, this translates to saving electricity by using energy-efficient
appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs, as well as reducing
gasoline use and buying green power from your electricity provider, if
available.

Plant Trees
Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting
trees and other plants can slow or stop global warming. Plants take in
carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use carbon to build their own
tissues and return some of it to the soil in a process called sequestration.
Deforestation of rain forests is a large contributor to global warming and
CO2 emissions, but planting new trees, even in your own backyard, can
help to offset this.

Reduce Waste
The production of garbage contributes to global warming both directly
and indirectly. Decomposing waste in landfills produces methane and
other greenhouse gases. Waste also requires energy to manufacture in
the first place. Reducing your consumption patterns and reusing items
whenever possible minimizes your carbon footprint, since fewer new
items need to be made. Recycling metal, plastic, glass and paper lowers
greenhouse gas emissions, since recycled items take far less energy to
manufacture than items produced from scratch.

Conserve Water
Cities consume significant amounts of energy when purifying and
distributing water, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Saving water reduces the amount of energy used. At home, turn off water
immediately whenever you're not using it, and repair or replace leaky
faucets and toilets. In your yard, landscape with plants and grasses that
require less water, and capture rainwater in barrels for irrigating.