Rajasthan Technical University,Kota

M.Tech (I sem)
Environmental Lab
Experiment No. 2
To find out chemical oxygen demand of given waste
water sample.

Department of Civil Engineering

Rajasthan Technical University, Kota
OBJECT ::To find out chemical oxygen demand ( COD ) of given waste water sample.

APPARATUS :

1. Reflux apparatus
2. Hot plate/ heating mantle
3. Burette
4. Pipettes

PRINCIPLE:

The Organic matter present in sample gets oxidized completely by K2C12O7 in the presence of
the H2SO4 to produce CO2 and H2O. The excess K2C12O7remaining after the reaction is titrated
with Fe(NH4)(SO4)2. The dichromate consumed gives the O2 required to oxidation of the organic
matter.

REAGENTS:

1. Standard potassium dichromate 0.25N

2. Mercuric sulphtate
3. Ferroin indicator
4. Standard ammonium sullphate 0.1N
5. Sulphuric acid with reagent (conc. H2SO4 + Ag2SO4)

PROCEDURE:

1. Water sample is collected from a pond.

2. Poured 10ml of water sample in three 100 ml conical flask labeled as Test1, Test2,
and Test3.
3. Simultaneously the distilled water is taken in three 100ml conical flask labeled as
Blank1, Blank2 and Blank3.
4. Added 5ml of potassium dichromate solution in each of the six conical flasks
5. Keep the flask in water bath at 100°C (boiling temperature) for 1 hour
6. Allowed the samples to cool for 10 minutes
7. Added 5ml of potassium iodide in each flasks
8. Added 10ml of sulphuric acid in each flask
9. Titrated the contents of each flask with 0.1N Sodium thiosulphate until the blue color
disappear completely
OBSERVATION TABLE :

Sample Volume of Initial Final Volume of COD

details sample burrete burrete Fe(NH4)(SO4)2solution in
taken (ml) reading reading used mg/ltr
(ml) (ml)
1.
2.

CALCULATION :

COD (in mg/L) = 42 * Normality Fe(NH4)(SO4)2 * 8*1000

Quantity of sample

EE LAB VIVA QUESTIONS:

1. What is the difference between BOD and COD ?

2. Why COD values are always higher then BOD values?
3. What is the applications of COD data to environmental Engineering ?
4. What would be the role of Ag2SO4 in COD determination?
5. What is Ferroin indicator ?