Using Mean Oxidation Number of Organic Carbons to Count Theoretical Chemical Oxygen Demand

Abstract

Chemical oxygen demand and mean oxidation number of organic carbons are two important concepts in redox chemistry. The former is used for counting pure or mixed organic matters in aqueous solution. The latter is a redox metric for water treatment, organic combustion, and anaerobic digestion. Currently the calculation of theoretical chemical oxygen demand of neutral organic matter is based on the number of moles of molecular oxygen (O2). However, the calculation of theoretical chemical oxygen demand of ionic organic matter has seldom been studied. The purpose of this article is to develop a simple mathematical equation for doing so by using mean oxidation number of organic carbons. To develop the equation, relationships among chemical oxygen demand, mean oxidation number of organic carbons, number of organic carbons, and formula mass of organic matter are identified. The mathematical equations for chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and the ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total organic carbon are also established for any molecule(s).