Question

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) serves as an indirect measure of which water quality parameter?

Options

• The total concentration of dissolved inorganic salts

• The volume of methane produced per litre of effluent

• The amount of organic matter present in the water

• The exact population count of coliform viruses

Answer 1

BOD measures the rate of oxygen uptake by microorganisms oxidising organic matter in a water sample. Therefore, BOD serves as an indirect measure of the concentration of biodegradable organic matter in wastewater.