7th Nov.

,
2023

Water and
Wastewater
Engineering
Biological Oxygen Demand

Dr. Olusegun K. Abass

abass.olusegun@lmu.edu.n
g
CVE 410 Course hours – 25
Course credit - 2 Assignment, tutorial and class quiz hour -10
 Ground rules

Rest room visit – Do the needful… However, don’t allow the toilet to be your friend during lecture period.

Avoid side talks – especially during lectures. There will be time for interaction

Clarification is allowed – perhaps you are not clear on a subject, feel free to ask.

Missing the bus – generally it’s a bad idea for you to miss BUS CVE 410. If you do, you miss out some goodies

Late birds – coming late is essentially discouraged for this course because you might miss some good stuffs

Consultation Hours - Tues (12noon –2pm); Thurs (1pm –3pm).

Grading Guide

1. Assignment/Homework – 7.5%
2. Class attendance (full participation) –
7.5%
3. Class presentation (1 & 2) – 10 %
4. Class Quiz – 15%
5. Final Exam – 60%
Course Content

1. Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter & Calculations

1.2 Biological Oxygen Demand

1.3 Chemical Oxygen Demand

Water and Wastewater Engineering

1.0 Some Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter & Calculations
1.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

- BOD is the amount of oxygen required by bacteria while degrading organic matter in the
presence of dissolved oxygen. It is also affected by temperature.

Uses of BOD
1. To determine the quantity of oxygen that is required to stabilize biodegradable organic
matter in water or wastewater.

2. For sizing wastewater treatment plant

3. The efficiency of treatment. The amount of BOD removed by a treatment process

determines the efficiency of the process

4. To obtain the organic strength of sewage

Organic matter can be divided into two groups

5. Carbonaceous matter
6. Nitrogenous matter
1.0 Some Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter & Calculations
1.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Organic matter can be divided into two groups

1. Carbonaceous matter – in this case, the bacteria in the wastewater uses the initial oxygen
present in the water to oxidize the carbonaceous matter. This is usually called C-BOD or BOD
or 1st stage oxygen demand.

2. Nitrogenous matter – In this case, the bacteria (nitrogenous bacteria) uses oxygen to
convert nitrogen present in wastewater in form of ammonia (NH3) to nitrites (NO2-) and
then, to nitrates (NO3-) in a process called nitrification. This is usually called N-BOD or
nitrogenous BOD or 2nd stage demand.

Theoretically
Test for BOD in the lab Lo
Dilution method BOD
Remaining
Lab Test Lt
In 5 days – 60% to 70% of OM is oxidized
In 20 days – 95% to 99% of OM is oxidized
Time ∞
1.0 Some Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter Calculations

Carbonaceous Demand Nitrogenous Demand

Heterotrophic bacteria Autotrophic bacteria
directly uses C in
uses C in
Organic matter CO2 Reproduction rate
Low
Reproduction rate
High Curve for combined demand
BOD, mg/L

Nitrification demand
2nd stage demand
Abundance of autotrophs

Total BOD

Carbonaceous demand
1st stage demand
Abundance of heterotrophs

Time, days
1.0 Some Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter & Calculations
1.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

BOD lab Measurement

Take the water sample

Dilute it with a known amount of water in milli liters (mL). This dilution is done with an aerated water and
nutrients such as, MgSO4•7H20 and so on (see details below) are added to the diluted sample.

Test for
Initial D.O before incubation
Incubate sample for 5 days at std. temp. of 20 0C
Water sample
Test for
Final D.O. after incubation

BOD5 at 20 C = (Initial D.O. – Final D.O.) * Dilution factor (D.F)

0 D.F. = Volume of diluted sample / volume of original sample
D.F. = 100 ml / 10 ml = 10

Details of nutrients used in BOD dilution water 5% D.F. = 100 ml /5 ml = 20

Magnesium sulfate solution: 22.5 g MgSO4•7H20. Dilute to 1 L.
Why dilute water sample???
Calcium chloride solution: 27.5 g CaCl2. Dilute to 1 L.
Ferric Chloride solution: 0.25 g FeCl3•6H20. Dilute to 1 L.
Phosphate buffer: 8.5 g KH2P04, 21.75 g K2HP04, 33.4 g Na2HP04•7H20, and 1.7 g NH4Cl. Dilute to 1 L.
1.0 Water/Wastewater Quality Parameter Calculations
1.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

- To express BOD mathematically,

L – amount of BOD present or remaining, or amount of organic matter in the system that can be
degraded or oxidized (unit - mg/L)
K – First order reaction rate constant (unit given per day). K is negative because the rate of
consumption of biodegradable organic matter at any given time is proportional to the amount of
organic matter remaining at the given time. So, the value of K will be reducing, hence the
negative sign.
T – time
1.2 Biological Oxygen Demand

Integrating the equation:

L0 is the initial/ultimate BOD value, while Lt is the BOD remaining at any time t. After
integration, we have,

Lt/Lo = e-kt
Lt = Lo e-kt

Further, to calculate the BOD consume at any time (yt) or the ultimate BOD (L0),

yt = Lo – Lt (substituting for Lt we have)

yt = Lo – Lo e-kt

yt = Lo (1– e-kt)
1.2 Biological Oxygen Demand

yt = BOD consumed at any time t

Lo = initial BOD

Assuming that t = ∞, then yt, is equal to the ultimate BOD.

(Thus, when t is at infinite, it means all the organic matter will be oxidized)

To calculate Lt in logarithm form (Lt = Lo e-kt), we have

KD is derived from k, which is known as the deoxygenation constant, which is dependent upon
the temperature.
1.2 Biological Oxygen Demand

To convert to any temperature from 20 0C to T 0C, we use the formula

is the Amherrus constant, which can vary from 1.01-1.08.

Examples on BOD conversion problems

1. If the BOD5,20 C of wastewater is 150 mg/l and the reaction rate constant (to the base e) at 20
0
C is 0.35/day. What will be the ultimate BOD in mg/l?

2. A portion of wastewater sample was subjected standard BOD test (5 days, 20 0C), yielding a
value of 180 mg/l. The reaction rate constant (to the base e) at 20 0C was taken to be
0.18/day. The temperature at which the portion of other wastewater sample that should be
tested to exert the same BOD in 2.5 days is? (Take KT = K20 (1.047)T-20)

3. The BOD5 of a wastewater is determined to be 150mg/l at 200c. The k200c value is 0.23/day
and What would be the BOD8 if the test were determined at 150c?
1.2 Biological Oxygen Demand
Examples on BOD conversion problems
4. To determine the BOD5 of a wastewater sample, 5ml, 10ml and 50ml aliquots of the
wastewater were diluted to 300 ml and incubated at 20 oC in BOD bottles for 5 days. The results
obtained are as follows
S/N Wastewater vol., ml Initial DO, mg/l DO after 5 days, mg/l

1 5 9.2 6.9

2 10 9.1 4.4

3 15 8.4 0.0

Based on the data above, the average BOD5 of the wastewater will be equal to?

5. The 5 days BOD of a wastewater sample is obtained as 190 mg/l (with k = 0.01 /h). The
ultimate oxygen demand (mg/l) of the sample will be?

6. If BOD3 of a wastewater sample is 75 mg/l and the reaction rate constant k, (base of e) is
0.345 /day, the amount remaining in the given sample after 10 days is?