Abstract

The aim of this experiment is to determine the amount of COD in a waste water sample.
COD is the amount of oxygen in a sample which balance the amount of organic compounds in
that sample that will be oxidized by using a strong oxidizing agent. COD can be determined in a
waste water sample when 20 gm of the sample is added to 0.4g mercuric sulfate and10 ml
potassium dichromate, then the solution is titrated by thiosulphate. After these experimental

procedures, some equations must be used for determining COD which is , to be

300 mg/l.
Procedures
Experimental procedures
1. Add a few clean glass beads to a dry COD flask. Place 20 ml sample in the flask, add
0.4g mercuric sulfate and add 10 ml potassium dichromate solution.
2. Carefully add 30 ml sulfuric acid-silver sulfate solution to the sample mixture, a little at a
time, mixing after each addition.
3. Make sure that the reflux mixture is mixed thoroughly before heat is applied.
4. Attach flask to the condenser and reflux the mixture for 2 hours.
5. Cool then wash down the condenser with about 25 ml distilled water.
6. Dilute the mixture to about 140 ml, cool, and titrate the excess dichromate with ferrous
ammonium sulfate solution using ferroin indicator, two or three drops of the indicator are
added to the sample just before titration.
7. Take as the end point the sharp color change from blue-green to reddishbrown, even
though the blue green may reappear within minutes.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 7 using a blank (20 ml distilled water) instead of the sample.

Materials used
1. A wastewater sample
2. Reagents
a. Sulfuric acid - silver sulfate solution
b. Potassium dichromete solution, 0.25N
c. Ferroin indicator solution
d. Ferrous ammonium sulfate solution 0.25N
e. Mercuric sulfate (H2SO4), analytical grade crystals

Equipment used
1. A reflux apparatus consisting of a 300 ml flask with ground glass neck and a condenser
2. A hot plate
3. . Erlenmeyer flask, 500 ml
Results

Thiosulphate normality = 0.1 N.

Thiosulphate Volume (V1) = 7.5 ml.
Thiosulphate Volume for blank sample (V2) = 0
Waste water sample volume = 20 ml.

1000 161000
- Equivalent weight of oxygen = = = 8000 mg
2
(12)( ) (7.50)(0.18000)
- COD = = = 300
20

mg/l
Discussion and conclusion
The aim of this experiment is to determine the amount of chemical organic compounds in a
sample of waste water through calculating the amount of COD which is equivalent to that of
organic compounds. First of all for calculating the amount of COD, some chemical reactions
must be done through adding 0.4 grams from mercuric sulfate and10 ml from potassium
dichromate solution to the sample of the waste water that contains the organic materials needed
to be calculated. The second step is to add 30 ml from sulfuric acid-silver sulfate solution to the
solution mentioned above and then heat the mixture. After cooling, the titration will take place
by using thiosulfate as a titrant and ferroin as an indicator. The titration must be stop when it is
noticed that the color of blue-green changed to reddish brown. After the color indication, the

sample now is ready for the COD calculation through using the equation , so
the COD is 300 mg/l.