Preferred term

biological oxygen demand

Is replaced by

[Henderson's] measurement of the amount of organic pollution in water, measured as the amount of oxygen taken up from a sample containing a known amount of dissolved oxygen kept at 20 °C for 5 days. A low BOD indicates little pollution, a high BOD indicates increased activity of heterotrophic microorganisms and thus heavy pollution.

http://vocabs.lter-europe.net/EnvThes/msa0125