biochemical oxygen demand
the oxygen required by aerobic organisms, as those in sewage, for metabolism. Abbreviation: BOD
Origin of biochemical oxygen demand
1- Also called biological oxygen demand.
Words Nearby biochemical oxygen demand
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for biochemical oxygen demand
a measure of the organic pollution of water: the amount of oxygen, in mg per litre of water, absorbed by a sample kept at 20°C for five days: Abbreviation: BOD
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for biochemical oxygen demand
[ bī′ō-kĕm′ĭ-kəl ]
The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in a sample of water, such as one polluted by sewage. It is used as a measure of the degree of water pollution.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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