biochemical oxygen demand

American  

noun

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

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biochemical oxygen demand British  

noun

1.  BOD.  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

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biochemical oxygen demand Scientific  

/ bī′ō-kĕm′ĭ-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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Etymology

Origin of biochemical oxygen demand

First recorded in 1925–30