Which of the following is estimated by measuring amount of BOD in a sample of water?

Oxygen consumption. Oxygen evolution. Total organic matter. Biodegradable organic matter .

Oxygen consumption.

BOD refers to the amount of the oxygen that would be consumed if all the organic matter in one liter of water were oxidised by bacteria. The sewage water is treated till the BOD is reduced. The BOD test measures the rate of uptake of oxygen by micro-organisms in a sample of water and thus, indirectly, BOD is a measure of the organic matter present in the water. The greater the BOD of waste water, more is its polluting potential.