The relationship between Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) loading and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in an aquatic ecosystem is as follows:
DOC Loading: DOC loading refers to the amount of organic carbon entering the aquatic ecosystem. It can come from various sources, such as runoff, decaying organic matter, and wastewater discharge
BOD: BOD is a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms in decomposing organic matter in water. High BOD levels indicate high organic pollution, which can lead to a decrease in oxygen availability, degradation of aquatic habitats, and harm to water quality and aquatic life
The relationship between DOC loading and BOD is that an increase in DOC loading can lead to higher BOD levels in the water. This is because the organic carbon in the DOC serves as a food source for microorganisms, which consume oxygen during the decomposition process. As a result, higher DOC loading can lead to higher BOD, which in turn can deplete the dissolved oxygen levels in the water, leading to negative impacts on the aquatic ecosystem.
In summary, an increase in DOC loading can contribute to higher BOD levels in an aquatic ecosystem, which can lead to a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels and negatively impact water quality and aquatic life.
DOC is a very sensitve parameter for organic pollution in water, it does not distinguisih whether this pollution is biodegradable or not. The breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms allways results in hardly biodegradable compounds as e.g. humic acids. This is the cause of a slightly yellow color of biologically treated wastewater or the brown color of natural rivers coming from (acid) wetlands. DOC is relevant for (drinking) water treatment by advanced oxidation for micro-pollutant removal. Humic acids measured as DOC consume most of the ozone even they are not really toxic but produce colour.
BOD in a natural clean river should be very low. Also in the effluent of a well operating wastewater treatment plant (with nitrification) is in the range of less than 10 mg/l. Most of this BOD is due to living microorganisms (suspended solids). The BOD of the dissolved compounds is normally far below about 5 mg/l. Depending on the drinking water consumption in a city the DOC of the effluent is in the range of 5 to 10 mg/l) while the COD is in the range of 30 to 60 mg/l). DOC is the most sensitive monitoring parameter for the quality of urban wastewater treatment efficiency but does not include the particulate pollution (efficiency of secondary clarifiers).
BOD measures the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms during the biochemical degradation of organic matter in water. It is often used as an indicator of the organic pollution level. DOC represents the concentration of organic carbon compounds dissolved in water. These can include natural organic matter from decaying plant and animal material, as well as anthropogenic sources.