COD Sensor (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
Measuring total chemical pollution load to protect water bodies and ensure compliance.
What Does a COD Sensor Measure?
A COD sensor measures the Chemical Oxygen Demand of water or wastewater, representing the amount of oxygen required to chemically oxidize organic and inorganic pollutants present in a sample. COD is a primary indicator of total pollution load.
Working Principle
Online COD sensors estimate pollution load using optical, electrochemical, or UV absorption techniques. These methods correlate measured signals with laboratory COD values through site-specific calibration models.
- UV–Visible light absorption (UV254)
- Optical correlation with organic content
- Algorithm-based estimation models
Common Types of COD Sensors
- UV Absorbance COD Sensors
- Online COD Analyzers
- Submersible COD Probes
- Process COD Monitoring Systems
- Portable COD Measurement Devices
Signals & Outputs
- Analog: 4–20 mA
- Digital: RS-485 (Modbus RTU)
- Industrial Ethernet (via analyzers)
- Measured in mg/L (as COD equivalent, correlated)
Sensor Cluster
This sensor belongs to the Process Quality Cluster, focusing on total pollution load, treatment efficiency, shock load detection, and regulatory compliance.
Direct & Indirect Meaning of COD Data
Direct Meaning
The measured value directly represents the estimated oxygen demand caused by chemical pollutants.
Indirect Meaning
COD trends indirectly indicate organic load variation, treatment performance, industrial discharge consistency, and risk of effluent non-compliance.
Industries Using COD Sensors
Role of IoT in COD Monitoring
With Industrial IoT integration, COD sensors enable real-time pollution tracking, automated treatment optimization, early warning of effluent violations, and continuous environmental compliance reporting.
IndustrioPedia Perspective
The COD Sensor quantifies chemical pollution at scale. By converting complex contamination into a single actionable metric, it empowers industries to treat wastewater responsibly and protect natural ecosystems.