The biological oxygen demand (BOD) of unpolluted river water is:

The biological oxygen demand (BOD) of unpolluted river water is:

10 - 20 mg O₂/dm³/5 day.
5-10 mg O₂/dm³/5 day.
less than 5 mg O₂/dm³/5 day.
more than 20 mg O₂/dm³/5 day.
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2020
The biological oxygen demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a water sample. Unpolluted river water contains very little organic matter and thus requires very little oxygen for decomposition, resulting in a low BOD value, typically less than 5 mg O₂/dm³/5 day.
– BOD is a key indicator of water quality, reflecting the amount of biodegradable organic pollution.
– It is measured over a specific period, usually 5 days (BOD₅) at a standard temperature (20°C).
– Lower BOD values indicate better water quality with less organic pollution.
– Very clean water typically has a BOD of 1-2 mg/L.
– Moderately polluted water might have BOD values between 2 and 8 mg/L.
– Heavily polluted water can have BOD values exceeding 20 mg/L.
– The term dm³ is equivalent to a liter (1 dm³ = 1 L).
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