Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Calculation

Understanding Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Calculation

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is a measure of the amount of oxygen required to oxidize soluble and particulate organic matter in water. It is an important indicator of water quality, expressing the quantity of pollution in water. The formula for COD can vary based on the specific test used, but often a multiple of the oxygen demand is applied in calculations.

Parameter description:

• oxygenDemand - the milligrams of oxygen consumed during the oxidation of organic matter in a sample of water over a set period.

Example values:

• oxygenDemand might be '2' for moderately polluted water.

Output:

• COD indicates the chemical oxygen demand measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L). It can serve as a metric for assessing the effect of discharged wastewater on the receiving environment.

Data Validation

Only positive values for oxygen demand are accepted since negative values are not physically meaningful in this context.

Practical Implementation

Typically, COD is used by regulatory agencies to control the amount of organic pollutants in waste discharged by industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants into water bodies.