biochemical oxygen demand


noun
  1. the oxygen required by aerobic organisms, as those in sewage, for metabolism. Abbreviation: BOD

Origin of biochemical oxygen demand

1
First recorded in 1925–30

Words Nearby biochemical oxygen demand

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British Dictionary definitions for biochemical oxygen demand

biochemical oxygen demand

noun
  1. 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

biochemical oxygen demand

[ bī′ō-kĕmĭ-kəl ]


  1. 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.

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