Correlation between BOD/COD Ratio and Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient for Mixture Organic Compounds

Abstract

Correlation between the BOD/COD ratio and Partition coefficient of octanol/ water (Pow) on a single organic substance shows that the Pow value is directly proportional to the toxicity level and inversely proportional to BOD/COD ratio. This research examined the correlation to a mixture of organic substances. The objective is to obtain a varied range of substances, as well as determining the quality of wastewater discharging to fresh waters. Need for analysis of organic substances used as antiseptics during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, organic substances from the organophosphate pesticide class, diazinon, were used. BOD5, COD, Pow, and LC50-96h toxicity tests using Daphnia magna were used. Six types of the mixture of organic substances included diazinon-formaldehyde-isopropyl alcohol, ethanol-oxalic acid-formaldehyde, isopropyl alcohol-glycerol-lactose, acetic acid-isopropyl alcohol-formaldehyde, sucrose-glycerol-acetic acid, and oxalic acid-formaldehyde-diazinon, with 3 different concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 mg/L, three repetitions. The lowest BOD/COD ratio (<0.2) and the highest Pow value (>4) are found in diazinon-formaldehyde-IPA. Its toxicity in D. magna also showed the lowest LC-50 (11.82 mg/L). Whereas, sucrose-glycerol-acetic acid had the highest BOD/COD ratio (>0.7) and lowest Pow (<0.7) with the highest LC- 50 (567.88 mg/L). Other organic substances mixtures have characteristics in the range of these mixtures. Pow variability and the BOD/COD ratio have a negative correlation. A mixture of organic matter is more biodegradable making it has a higher tendency to dissolve in water.

Chemical disinfectants detoxify wastewater containing various organic substances

“…The results of the study of single organic substances Table 1 shows the BOD/COD ratio in the range of easily biodegradable (more than 0.5) and non-biodegradable, or toxic to microbes (less than 0.5). As the results of previous studies [23], the range of the BOD/COD ratio was closely related to the Pow range, where biodegradable organic substances have a Pow smaller than the Pow of non-biodegradable substances. The Pow results show that biodegradable organic substances were hydrophilic, whereas non-biodegradable organic substances were lipophilic, which easily accumulates into the biomass of biota.…”