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COD, BOD, and TSS are core parameters in environmental science and wastewater treatment, widely used to assess water quality and pollution levels.
COD quantifies the amount of oxygen required to chemically oxidize both organic and inorganic substances in water. As a direct indicator of total pollution load (with a focus on organic pollutants), it is commonly used to evaluate water quality in industrial effluents and municipal wastewater. Its key advantage lies in rapid measurement, making it ideal for high-throughput monitoring of pollution levels.
BOD refers to the dissolved oxygen used by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water. It specifically reflects the level of biodegradable organic pollution and the oxygen demand for aerobic biological processes to break down these pollutants. As a critical metric, it is used to assess the effectiveness of biological wastewater treatment systems and gauge the health of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., avoiding oxygen depletion in rivers or lakes).
TSS represents the concentration of suspended solid particles in water—encompassing both organic (e.g., organic debris, microbes) and inorganic (e.g., silt, sediment) materials that do not dissolve. It is essential for evaluating water clarity, sedimentation potential, and overall water quality. Practically, it is used to verify the performance of sediment control measures (e.g., in construction sites) and the solid-removal efficiency of wastewater treatment processes.