The HBOD test: a new method for determining biochemical oxygen demand

The conventional biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test requires a series of sample dilutions and can be very time-consuming to perform. Although newer oxygen utilization tests based on pressure changes in sealed devices do not require dilutions, they are too expensive to use routinely for wastewater samples. A rapid and inexpensive test is proposed for determining oxygen demand. This procedure, called the headspace biochemical oxygen demand (HBOD) test, uses non-diluted wastewater samples, because additional oxygen from the container head-space is available to the microorganisms. The total oxygen demand is calculated from oxygen depleted from both the liquid and the air phases in the sealed container. Using samples from 3 wastewater treatment plants, it is shown that the HBOD test, if conducted over a 5-day period, provides similar results to the BOD test