biochemical oxygen demand

noun

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

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 BOD

biochemical oxygen demand

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of biochemical oxygen demand¹

First recorded in 1925–30