BOD LAB Report
BOD LAB Report
BOD LAB Report
ECW 568
OPEN-ENDED LAB REPORT
MARKS COMMENTS
INTRODUCTION
BASIC CONCEPTS
METHODOLOGY 1 2 3 4 5
RESULTS&ANALYSIS 1 2 3 4 5
DISCUSSION 1 2 3 4 5
CONCLUSION 1 2 3 4 5
ORGANIZATION 1 2 3 4 5
TOTAL MARKS
INTRODUCTION (Muhammad Akmal)
Microorganisms living in oxygenated waters use dissolved oxygen to oxidatively degrade the
organic compounds, releasing energy which is used for growth and reproduction. Populations
of these microorganisms tend to increase in proportion to the amount of food available. This
compounds useful as food. Under some circumstances, microbial metabolism can consume
dissolved oxygen faster than atmospheric oxygen can dissolve into the water or the autotrophic
community (algae, cyanobacteria and macrophytes) can produce. Fish and aquatic insects may
metabolism of organic compounds in water. This demand occurs over some variable period of
indigenous microbial populations. The amount of oxygen required to completely oxidize the
organic compounds to carbon dioxide and water through generations of microbial growth,
death, decay, and cannibalism is total biochemical oxygen demand (total BOD). Total BOD is
of more significance to food webs than to water quality. Dissolved oxygen depletion is most
likely to become evident during the initial aquatic microbial population explosion in response
to a large amount of organic material. If the microbial population deoxygenates the water,
however, that lack of oxygen imposes a limit on population growth of aerobic aquatic microbial
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria
and other microorganisms while they decompose organic matter under aerobic (oxygen is present)
conditions at a specified temperature.When you look at water in a lake the one thing you don't see is
oxygen. In a way, we think that water is the opposite of air, but the common lake or stream does
contain small amounts of oxygen, in the form of dissolved oxygen. Although the amount of dissolved
oxygen is small, up to about ten molecules of oxygen per million of water, it is a crucial component of
natural water bodies; the presence of a sufficient concentration of dissolved oxygen is critical to
maintaining the aquatic life and aesthetic quality of streams and lakes.
Certain environmental stresses (hot summer temperatures) and other human-induced factors
(introduction of excess fertilizers to a water body) can lessen the amount of dissolved oxygen in a
water body, resulting in stresses on the local aquatic life. One water analysis that is utilized in order to
better understand the effect of bacteria and other microorganisms on the amount of oxygen they
consume as they decompose organic matter under aerobic (oxygen is present) is the measure of
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
Determining how organic matter affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a stream or
lake is integral to water-quality management. 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). The waste organic matter is stabilized or
made unobjectionable through its decomposition by living bacterial organisms which need oxygen to
do their work. BOD is used, often in wastewater-treatment plants, as an index of the degree of organic
pollution in water.
PROCEDURE (Ayza Nazira)
Procedure for Standard Dilution Technique (BOD 5 APHA 5210)-seeded dilution water
1. Dilution water is prepared by adding the following per litre of required dilution, then
aerated to oxygen saturation (approximately 1 hour).
• 1 mL phosphate buffer
• 1 mL magnesium sulfate solution
• 1 mL calcium chloride solution
• 1 mL ferric chloride solution
• 2 mL of settled raw sewage seed
2. The three (3) seeded dilution water blanks are set up
3. The three (3) dilutions for each sample is then prepared
4. The initial DO of each diluted sample and blank was measured using a calibrated DO
probe.
5. The bottle was filled up with dilution water and assured that no air bubble before
tightly closing the bottle’s mouth with a glass stopper.
6. The blanks and sample were incubated at 20° C for five days.
7. After five days, the DO in each sample was measured by a DO probe and the 𝐵𝑂𝐷5
was calculated.
RESULTS (Muhamad Aiman)
Formula :
LOCATION BOD5 sample Average value of
(mg/L) BOD5
(mg/L)
1 405.10
Raw sewage 2 330.1 313.03
3 203.9
1 44.9
2nd Effluent 2 24.7 28.83
3 16.9
1 21.0
Final Effluent 2 15.7 14.57
3 7.007
Table 2 show the average concentration of BOD from the 3 different sampling point.
313.03
BOD5 (MG/L)
28.83
14.57
Graph shows the concentration of BOD regards with the effluent discharge.
DISSCUSION ( Intan Zaharah )
We are required to conduct a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test in this laboratory
activity to measure the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganism in the decomposition
of organic water in the stream water. The water samples are collected in three places, consisting
of raw sewage, secondary effluent and final effluent, and this test will measure the BOD
concentration of this sample. After 5 days, the final DO value for each seed sample is recorded,
and this test is also conducted at 20•c.
The highest initial DO value of the sample from the data we have tabulated is the raw
sewage seed sample with a value of 7.9 mg / l, while the highest final DO value after 5 days is
a sample from the final effluent with a value of 5.8 mg / l.
The 5-day biochemical demand for oxygen (BOD5) is a parameter of water quality
which measures the amount of biodegradable organic matter in water. In this experiment the
highest BOD5 value is from the raw sewage seed sample with a value of 313.03 mg / l. The
recorded BOD5 value is the final effluent for each location as the water will be discharged to
the nearest water source according to the Malaysian National Water Quality Standard.
From the experiment, according to National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia we
can identify the raw sewage seed sample with a value of 313.03 my / l as Class V. Due to a
reduction of oxygen in the water, the water from it is not appropriate for the environment and
has a high BOD. It can be graded as Class V for secondary effluent and final effluent, and is
also not appropriate for the setting. For both effluents, the BOD amount is 28.83 mg/l, and
14.57mg/ l.
In addition, micro-organisms such as bacteria are responsible for the biological waste
decomposition. When the water source includes organic matter such as dead plants, leaves,
grass clippings, sewage or even food waste, the bacteria will begin the process of breaking this
waste down. When this happens, the aerobic bacteria consume much of the available dissolved
oxygen, robbing other aquatic organisms of the oxygen they need to live on.
The rate of oxygen consumption in the water stream is influenced by many factors such
as temperature, pH, the presence of certain types of microorganisms, and the amount of organic
and inorganic content in the water. The oxygen value can also decrease when the BOD value
increases.
CONCLUSION (Muhamad Harith Haiqal)
In conclusion, the average value of 𝐵𝑂𝐷5 (mg/l) at raw sewage is 313.03mg/l, whereas the at
the 2nd effluent is 28.83mg/l. Hence, at the final effluent the average value of 𝐵𝑂𝐷5 (mg/l) is
14.57mg/l. BOD testing is a useful way to determine the level of biological activity and the
concentration of organic matter that is useful to microorganisms. Since It focuses specifically
on the organic matter that bacteria can decompose. Despite its limitations it is clear that BOD
testing is essential as it allows us to quantify organic pollution within a water sample, without
expensive chromatography or other methods used to determine composition.
APPENDIX