1.

0 ADVANCED QUESTIONS
1. Why is it important to determine BOD value in wastewater treatment?

1.1 Basically, BOD is commonly used parameter for determining the oxygen
demand on the receiving water of a municipal or industrial discharge. BOD
can also be used to evaluate the efficiency of treatment processes and is
an indirect measure of biodegradable organic compounds in water. BOD is
important due to provides an index to assess the effect discharge
wastewater will have on the receiving environment. Higher value of BOD,
the greater value of organic matter available for oxygen consuming
bacteria. The rate of DOB will effect stress on aquatic organisms, making
the environment unsuitable for life. BOD also can used extensively for
wastewater treatment as decomposition of organic waste by
microorganisms is commonly used for treatment.

2. Why do you incubate BOD bottles?

The reason we should incubate bottles is to prevent the light appear, then the
algae will grow in the test bottle . the algae will produce oxygen ,that thing can
prevent extent of the water cleanliness. Besides, without incubation in the
dark, light is injurious to many life forms. Microorganisms that present in the
test bottle may be harmed by excess light and cause unable to consume any
oxygen. It is effected to the result.

3. Why you need to determine the BOD of the blank (dilution water, unseeded)?

It is on purpose to check the quality of dilution water.The BOD blank (a BOD

bottle full of dilution water containing only the required nutrients, but not any
seed) must not show a DO, or dissolved oxygen, depletion of more than 0.2 mg/L
after the five day incubation period. A drop of more than 0.2 mg/L indicates some
type of contamination or calibration error.

4. List the chemical added to the dilution water and explain why they are added?

 Phosphate buffer solution

 Magnesium sulphate solution
 Calcium chloride solution
 Ferric chloride solution

It is very important that the distilled water used for dilution water be of high
grade and free from contaminants (such as copper and chlorine) which could
inhibit the growth of bacteria. For this reason, it is recommended that
ordinary commercial distilled water such as car wet battery not be used.
 5. 30 mL of wastewater are placed in a 300 mL BOD bottle. The sample is
diluted to fill the bottle. The DO concentrations at the beginning and the end
of 5-day incubation period are 7.3 mg/L and 1.8 mg/L respectively. What is
the BOD?

Sample Volume of Volume of Initial Final DO BOD5,

sample DO, DO,
Incubation Depletion, mg/L
size,
bottle, mL mg/L mg/L
mg/L
mL
A 300 30 7.3 1.8 5.5 5.5

(5.5)  300
BOD5 for sample A : BOD5, mg/L = 300, mL

= 5.5mg/l