Dealing with effluent may not be a favourite activity for technologists but it is an essential one. Effluents from mills and refineries are not generally toxic; the main organic constituents are sugars which on complete oxidation yield carbon dioxide and water: The oxidation progresses through a number of steps, some producing foul smelling organic acids; oxygen is removed from the water causing fish to die. The equation shows that 342g of sugar react with 384g of oxygen, a ratio of approximately 1:1; since chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of oxygen depletion the ratio of sugar to COD is… Login to continue

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