---
url: https://www.eurocovers.eu/glossary/cod
term: COD (chemical oxygen demand)
definition: A measure of the total oxygen demand of water under chemical oxidation, including non-biodegradable organics. Used as a fast, automatable wastewater quality proxy.
updated: 2026-05-25
---

# COD (chemical oxygen demand)

A measure of the total oxygen demand of water under chemical oxidation, including non-biodegradable organics. Used as a fast, automatable wastewater quality proxy.

**COD** (chemical oxygen demand) measures the total oxygen demand of a water sample under chemical
oxidation conditions, including organics that BOD does not capture. COD is faster to measure than
BOD and is used for routine wastewater plant monitoring. The ratio of BOD:COD indicates
biodegradability of the load — important for predicting treatment performance and downstream
odor potential.