Consider the following statements about Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD):
1. The water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of biological oxygen demand.
2. It measures oxygen consumption by microorganisms decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specific temperature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question

Consider the following statements about Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD):
1. The water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of biological oxygen demand.
2. It measures oxygen consumption by microorganisms decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specific temperature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is correct: Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard measure to assess the level of organic pollution in a water body. It measures the amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms (like bacteria) to decompose organic matter present in the water. Higher organic waste leads to higher BOD, indicating higher pollution.

Statement 2 is correct: BOD measures the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms as they decompose organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specified temperature.

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Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

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M Question 1	⏱ 0
Consider the following statements about Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): 1. The water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of biological oxygen demand. 2. It measures oxygen consumption by microorganisms decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specific temperature. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2