CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD)

The amount of oxygen (measured in mg/L) that is consumed in the oxidation of organic and oxidasable inorganic matter, under test conditions. It is used to measure the total amount of organic and inorganic pollution in wastewater. Contrary to BOD, with COD practically all compounds are fully oxidized. COD is measured in real time through aggregating the measurements of real-time UV sensors with tailor-made algorithms to produce concrete calibrations for reports. These tailor-made calibrations allow users to provide real-time analysis of COD that would otherwise be depended upon the laboratory. COD is a vital quality parameter due to its ability in providing an index to ascertain the impact on discharged wastewater throughout the environment. When COD levels are higher that means there is a greater degree of oxidizable organic substances in the sample, which lowers dissolved oxygen levels. A decrease in dissolved oxygen can result in conditions of anaerobic, which is hazardous to organisms living in the water. The COD test is viewed as a more effective alternative to BOD because of the less amount of time needed during the testing time.