EXPERIMENT 3: CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMANDS (COD)

SITI MARIAM ABDUL KADIR 2010762233

Results
Sample from the river
water
S1
S2
S3
S4
Sample from the pond
water
P1
P2
P3
P4

Reading

Average COD

116mg/L
164mg/L
76mg/L
213mg/L

142.25mg/L

Reading

Average COD

22mg/L
35mg/L
40mg/L
37mg/L

33.5 mg/L

Discussions
In the experiment, the values of the COD for the river water samples were higher
than the COD for the pond water samples. According to several factors, by
comparing these two water sources, the COD value for the pond should be higher
compared to the river water (Serrano & DeLorenzo, 2008). Some analytical error
might have occurred including the usage of potassium dichromate, the oxidant
used in COD test, cannot decompose completely the organic matter present in
the samples, and the chemical oxidation degree of potassium dichromate may be
affected by the organic matter composition and the molecular structures
involved (Wang et. al, 2006).
The average COD values given were not practically the true value due to several
reasons such as the presence of chloride ions. Chloride ions content lowers the
COD value but it can be corrected by using mercuric sulfate (Stone, no date).
Another ion that could interfere with the COD value is nitrite ions which could
give the COD value to be higher. To correct thus, sulfamic acid can be used to
remove the nitrite ions (Anon, no date).

References
Anonymous (no date) Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Testing Procedure.
Retrieved from:
http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV149/cod_print.htm
[Accessed: 27/10/13].
Wang F., Smith D.W., El-Din M.G. (2006) Aged raw landfill leachate: Membrane
fractionation, O3 only
and O3/H2O2 oxidation, and molecular size distribution
analysis. Water Res.;40:463474.

EXPERIMENT 3: CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMANDS (COD)

SITI MARIAM ABDUL KADIR 2010762233
Serrano, L., & DeLorenzo, M. E. (2008). Water quality and restoration in a coastal
subdivision stormwater pond. Journal of Environmental Management,
88(1), 43-52. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.01.025
Stone, J. (no date) The Chemistry of Chemical Oxygen Demand. Retrieved from:
http://www.envexp.com/download/techsupport/articles/COD%20Article.pdf
[Accessed: 27/10/13].