Biodegradability of wastewater – a method for COD-fractionation

Characterization of wastewater for simulation of in-sewer transformations can be carried out by interpretation of oxygen uptake rate measurements in combination with a conceptual model of the microbial transformations involved. This interpretation can be done by iterative procedures by solving the differential equations constituting the model or by the application of a more "manual" method--the latter being the topic of this paper. Examples where different wastewaters are characterized illustrate the method.