Three water samples namely river water, untreated sewage water and secondary effluent discharged from a sewage treatment plant were subjected to BOD test. The samples were labelled A, B and C; but the laboratory attendant did not note which was which. The BOD values of the three samples A, B and C were recorded as 20mg/L, 8mg/L and 400mg/L, respectively. Which sample of the water is most polluted? Can you assign the correct label to each assuming the river water is relatively clean?
Biological oxygen demand(BOD)is the method of determining the amount of oxygen required by micro-organisms to decompose the waste present in the water supply. If the quantity of organic wastes in the in the water supply is high then the number of decomposing bacteria present in the water will also be high. As a result the BOD value will increase.
Therefore it can be concluded that if the water supply is more polluted then it will have a higher BOD value. Out of the above three samples sample C is the most polluted since it has the maximum BOD value of 400mg/L. After untreated sewage water secondary effluent discharge from a sewage treatment plant is most polluted. Thus sample A is secondary effluent discharge from a sewage treatment plant and has the BOD value of 20mg/L while sample B is river water and has the BOD value of 8mg/L.
Hence the correct label for each sample is:
Label | BOD value | Sample |
A | 20 mg/L | Secondary effluent discharge from a sewage treatment plant |
B | 8mg/L | River water |
C | 400mg/L | Untreated sewage water |
Answer the following questions:
1. State what do you understand by “MALT”? Where is it located inside our body?
2. Explain cytokine barriers.
3. Name the diagnostic test for AIDS. On what principle does it work?
4. Bone marrow and thymus play an important role in human immune system. Explain how are they able to achieve this.
Name an alcoholic drink which is produced with the help of microbes:
(1) With distillation
(2) Without distillation
Match the items in Column-A with that of Column-B:
There are several valuable microorganisms that are beneficial to humans in various manners such as: