BOD Full Form

BOD full form is Biological Oxygen Demand. The certain amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms in the biological process of metabolizing organic materials in water is known as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). A higher BOD value implies that the water has a low capacity of the dissolved oxygen concentration and is considered as polluted. Do you know how BOD is important in the ecosystem? Don’t worry. Read the article to gain the insight on the BOD full form, usage, importance and many others.

What is BOD Full Form?

BOD full form is Biochemical Oxygen Demand. Organic wastewater contamination is measured in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). A sample's biochemical oxygen demand can also be used to determine how much organic material is present. Measurements of organic wastewater pollution are conducted through the process of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). A larger Biochemical Oxygen Demand indicates that the water is contaminated and has a low amount of dissolved oxygen. It also states the biological oxygen requirement for eliminating the pollution level. It is the quantity of dissolved oxygen required by aerobic biological organisms to decompose the organic material. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand value is frequently used as a standard substitute for the level of organic pollution in water and it is most frequently stated in milligrams of oxygen used per liter of the sample. Also, BOD can be used to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of wastewater treatment facilities.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand both regulate the concentration of organic molecules in water and this is the process of comparing their own respective functions. Overall biochemical oxygen demand is the quantity of oxygen needed to oxidize organic materials to carbon dioxide and water over the sustained ions of microbiological development, death, decay and cannibalism. Compared to the quality of water, total BOD has a greater impact on food webs of the ecosystem. The initial aquatic microbial population explosion is most likely to become noticeable because of the dissolved oxygen deficiency in water. But if the microbial population deoxygenated the water, that shortage of oxygen naturally limits the population growth of aerobic aquatic microbial organisms resulting in a long-term food excess and deficit of oxygen.

Sources Of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

• Leaf and woody debris
• Dead plants and animals
• Animal manure
• Effluents from pulp and paper mills
• Wastewater treatment plants
• Feedlots
• Food-processing factories
• Malfunctioning septic systems
• Urban stormwater runoff is also the source of biochemical or biological oxygen demand.
• Phosphate pollution from American residents is one of the most popular nutrients affecting Biochemical Oxygen Demand in aquatic systems, especially in recent years.

How is Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Used in Wastewater Treatment Facilities

• In wastewater treatment facilities, the biochemical or biological oxygen demand frequently acts as a parameter to  gauge the level of organic pollutants in the water.
• Industries that release waste directly into sanitary sewers or rivers in a municipal administration are subject to stringent standards for biochemical oxygen demand. Organic/inorganic materials and organisms can create the solids in wastewater, which must be decreased in large amounts during treatment in order to prevent an increase in biochemical oxygen demand after discharge.

Importance Of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Biochemical Oxygen Demand is a measurement of the amount of oxygen used by microorganisms in the process of decomposing organic matter in the water bodies. BOD is important in determining many aspects. Few of the aspects of BOD are:

1. It shows the specific quantity of organic contamination present in an aquatic ecosystem.
2. It provides an accurate and effective indicator of the organic contamination of water bodies.
3. To check how well aerobic microorganisms are destroying organic wastes, Biochemical Oxygen Demand is determined during sewage treatment or wastewater treatment.
4. It declares the volume of organic material that is present in sewage, silt, waste, sludge and other organic materials.
5. The rate at which living things respire is also determined by their metabolic oxygen demand.
6. To measure oxygen consumption by the cell, Biochemical Oxygen Demand is extensively employed in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
7. BOD is a significant indicator of water quality because it can help to determine the exact level of pollution present in the water. Moreover, this information can be used to make decisions about how to treat the water or to take steps to reduce the pollution.
8. BOD can also be used to monitor and keep a track of the progress of wastewater treatment plants. By measuring the BOD levels both before and after treatment, it is possible to see how effective the treatment process is.

Effects of High BOD Levels

High BOD levels can have several negative effects and impacts on both humans and the environment. Some of the harmful effects of BOD are mentioned below:

• Reduced dissolved oxygen levels in the water can lead to the end of fish and other aquatic life
• Increased growth of bacteria and algae can lead to change in taste and odor problems in drinking water
• High BOD levels can cause the clogging of pipes and other infrastructure due to increased growth of bacteria and algae
• Eutrophication is the process of bodies of water becoming overloaded with nutrients, leading to the death of plant and animal life in the water and disturbing the aquatic ecosystem.

Process of Reducing the BOD Level

By understanding what BOD is and why it matters, several steps can be taken to reduce pollution in waterways and make sure that they are clean and healthy for the consumption of the people. There are several ways through which the BOD levels can be reduced. Some of the prominent methods include:

• Reducing the number of active pollutants that are discharged directly into waterways
• Improving the wastewater treatment processes management
• Introducing the best management practices (BMPs) on agricultural and industrial sites
• Educating and creating awareness among people about how they can help reduce pollution in their communities
• Biological treatment – Biological treatment is a process that uses bacteria to remove or kill the dissolved oxygen from water. This process can be used to treat sewage waste as well.

Potential Benefits of Reducing BOD

There are many benefits of reducing BOD including the environmental factors. Some of the most important reasons to reduce BOD are:

• Protecting aquatic life and ecosystems – When the BOD amount is high, it can lead to algae blooms and reduced oxygen levels in water bodies, which can be harmful to fish, plants and other forms of aquatic life and ecosystem as a whole.
• Improving water quality – Reducing BOD can improve the overall quality of water, making it more suitable for human consumption and usage.
• Saving money – Treating water with high BOD levels can be costly in nature. By reducing BOD, the money on treatment costs will be saved.
• Reducing environmental pollution – High levels of BOD can lead to water pollution which can damage the aquatic environment. Reducing BOD can help protect the environment from getting polluted.

BOD Level in Natural Waters

The organic substances of various types and dissolved oxygen are present in varying amounts in natural water bodies such as ponds and lakes. Inside these fluids, the microorganisms that rely on organic nutrients use dissolved oxygen to break down them, providing energy for growth and reproduction. There are many factors and circumstances responsible for BOD such as favorable circumstances like nutritional concentrations, temperature, and the availability of certain types of enzymes. As per definition, the total Biochemical Oxygen Demand is the quantity of oxygen required to fully break down the organic molecules into CO2 and water during the microbial life cycle is known as total BOD. In due process, when microbiological organisms use dissolved oxygen quicker than atmospheric air dissolves, the oxygen level becomes unbalanced, resulting in the death of fish and aquatic species leading to the disturbance in the marine ecosystem.

BOD Level Indication

The level of BOD indicates the state of water- clean or polluted. Here the BOD level is given in the table below with their meaning. Check the information about water quality given in the table below: