CEE 361 Environmental Engineering

Lab 2
Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(BOD) and Aeration

INTRODUCTION:
BOD:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand also known as Biological Oxygen Demand is
the amount of dissolved oxygen required by the microorganism to
breakdown the organic material present in the water or simply quantity of
oxygen used by microorganism for the oxidation of organic matter. It is
usually expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per liter of sample in 5
days under incubation of 20 centigrade.
Certain organic compounds are present in water. They are used by the
microorganism present in the water as a part of their food. These
microorganism use dissolved oxygen to degrade the organic compounds.
They multiply in numbers when food is sufficiently available. Microorganism
also consume DO for their metabolic activities thus decreasing the amount of
oxygen available for the aquatic life.
Aquatic life needs oxygen present in water to live but microorganism
deprive them by oxidation the organic contents present in the water. This
cause the low concentration of dissolved oxygen. When the dissolved oxygen
concentration falls below 5 parts per million, it becomes hard for fish to live.
Generally the utilization of oxygen by microorganism is considered to be First
Order Process.
Rate of oxygen consumption is usually described as:
L=Lo ekt
Where, L is the concentration of oxygen at time t, Lo is the original
concentration of oxygen in sample and k is the rate constant which is usually
0.17/day.
For describing the oxidation of BOD in sample the following equation is used
L=LoLo ekt
Where L is the concentration of biodegradable organic matter at time t, Lo is
the original concentration of biodegradable organic matter and k, t are the
rate constant and time respectively.

Aeration:

Anoxic conditions (the condition in which dissolved oxygen depletes

significantly) can be controlled and bettered by aeration process. Aeration is
the introduction of oxygen or air into the water via different methods which
in most cases are Surface aeration and subsurface aeration.
Aeration is required by water bodies suffering from anoxic conditions which
may be due to sewage, run-off, human activities discharge etc to feed its
habitats. Aeration fulfills the BOD and is key for microbial growth. Absence of
dissolved oxygen or high BOD causes aquatic life to perish and renders the
water to bad quality.
Sources used:
Class notes, Wikipedia, www.rpi.edu
MATERIALS:
Part 1:
1): Plexiglas tank

2): Stop watch

3): Nitrogen (N2) source 4): Dissolved oxygen (DO) probe and meter
5): Air source
Part 2:
1): Yeast (the microorganisms)
3): Milk (the BOD)
cylinder
5): Nanopreen water (DI water)

2): 2 - 250 mL beakers

4): 100 mL graduated
6): 10 mL graduated cylinder

7): Dissolved oxygen (DO) probe and meter 8): Stop watch
9): Stir plate and bar (1 or smaller)

10): Stir bar (1 or smaller)

Oxygenation of Ultra Pure Water = 9.1 mg/L (from measurements)

Corresponding to 20 c, the O in mg/l is also 9.1 mg/l which tells us the same
relationship or simply validate our work.
Saturation DO = 8.70 ppm

PROCEDURE:
Oxygen mass transfer coefficient for one volume of water is measured. DE
oxygenation is done via supplying Nitrogen gas. DO at the start and end is
measured via DO meter while at the same time stop watch helps noting the
time interval. Time is noted sharply as Nitrogen gas is turned on. DO is
recorded at 30 second interval up to 1 minutes.
Now, aeration is done. Stop watch is reset. By following the same procedure
of deoxygenation, air flows through the tank and DO is measured at 30
second interval.

Part 2:
200mL of distilled water is obtained and sample is prepared by diluting the
milk for 100 mL total volume. 1:40 dilution ratio as assigned is used in
diluting the sample. Once the milk is in 100mL cylinder, cylinder is filled up
to 100mL with the distilled water. 40mL of distilled water is now measured
into graduated cylinder and poured into 250 mL beaker.
Yeast 200mg is added to 40mL distilled water. Mixing is done until yeast
disappears. Milk mixture is added yeast mixture. DO probe reading first
destabilize and then get stability.
DO is recorded every minute until steady state is reached. DO difference
between the initial and final readings is calculated finally.

DISCUSSION:
When DO is plotted as the function of time for both deoxygenation and
reaeration for each water matrix and reactor volume, curves differ showing
the change between the waters. This may be cause of little mishandlings
during the experiment, carelessly sample taken or due to main reason that is
source and presence of microorganism in the sample which adversely affect
the result. For different t volume, they differ as it then becomes the bulk
property and change which though is minute is observed.

Figure showing the relationship between Time and BOD.

REFERENCE:

S.K.Garg Volume 1, Environmental Engineering: Sewage disposal and Air

Pollution
Waste Water engineering, Dr.B.C.punmia Ashok Kr. Jain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_aeration
www.polyseed.com/misc/BODforwebsite.pdf

Appendix:
1 to 40 BOD
Latest: Time
(min)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2

Latest: DO
(mg/L)
7.1
7
6.4
5.5
5.3

2.5

5.4

3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
12.5
13

5.4
5.5
5.5
5.4
5.6
4.9
4.9
5.1
5.1
5
5
5
5
4.9
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6

13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
16.5
17
17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
24

4.6
4.4
4.2
4
3.9
3.8
3.6
3.5
3.2
2.9
2.7
2.7
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.8
3
3.1
3.1
3
2.8
2.5

Dilution :
1/40
DO = Initial Reading - Final Reading
DO = 7.1 -2.5 = 4.6 mg/L

DEOXYGENATION HIGH TDS:

Lates
t
Time:
0
0.5
1
1.5
2

Lates
t: DO
(mg/L
)
6.3
5.6
4.9
3.4
2.4

2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15

2
1.7
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1.1
1.1
1.1

DEOXYGENATION OF ULTRA PURE WATER:

Lates
t:
Time
(min)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4

Lates
t: DO
(mg/L
)
7.4
3.5
1.1
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.9
0.9

4.5

0.9

5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15

0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
1
1
1

OXYGENATION OF HIGH TDS:

0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5

Lates
t: DO
(mg/L
)
1.1
4
6
6.1
6.4
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.6

5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15

6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.8
6.7
6.6
6.7
6.7
6.7
6.7
6.8

OXYGENATION OF ULTRA PURE WATER:

Lates
t:
Time
(min)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5

Lates
t: DO
(mg/L
)
1.1
6.5
8.7
9.1
9.1
9.1

9.1

3.5
4
4.5
5

9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1

5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15

9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1

For 1:

BOD
8
7
6
5

BOD 4
3
2
1
0

10

15

20

25

30

TIME

The curve shows that there is non-uniformity in the BOD values this curve
can be best made by finding the k, and then plotting the graph.