There has been a catastrophic spill of cow manure in the local University Lake. The water is now more turbid and some fish are dying. You collected a sample of lake water before and after this catastrophe. You measured the BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) in both water samples. How would you expect the BOD and oxygen concentration to change as a result of the spill?

a. The BOD will decrease, and the oxygen concentration will increase.

b. The BOD and oxygen concentration will both decrease.

c. The BOD will increase, and the oxygen concentration will decrease.

d. The BOD and oxygen concentration will both increase.

Question

Jazlene Hopkins

Geography

5 August, 16:53

There has been a catastrophic spill of cow manure in the local University Lake. The water is now more turbid and some fish are dying. You collected a sample of lake water before and after this catastrophe. You measured the BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) in both water samples. How would you expect the BOD and oxygen concentration to change as a result of the spill?

a. The BOD will decrease, and the oxygen concentration will increase.

b. The BOD and oxygen concentration will both decrease.

c. The BOD will increase, and the oxygen concentration will decrease.

d. The BOD and oxygen concentration will both increase.

+5

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Lane Kemp · Answer 1

The correct answer is C

Explanation:

Biological Oxygen Demand refers to the quantity of oxygen required and or utilised by aerobic microorganisms to oxidize organic matter.

As the pollution in the water takes an upward spiral, so will the microorganisms activity increase. This leads to an increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen that the microorganisms require.

When the amount of or dissolved oxygen demanded by aerobic microorganisms go up, the oxygen remaining for other kinds of fish become very limited.

Thus, BOD goes up and dissolved oxygen goes down.

Cheers!