Airports use a lot of water every day to wash airplanes, clean terminals, maintain equipment, and de-ice runways. Before that water is released into the environment or sent to a wastewater treatment plant, it needs to be checked to make sure it is not too polluted.

Here are three important tests airports use:

TOC (Total Organic Carbon)

• What it measures: The amount of organic material (things made from plants, animals, food, fuels, or chemicals) in the water.
• Why it matters: High TOC can mean the water contains fuel, oils, cleaning chemicals, or other contaminants that should not be released into rivers or lakes.
• Think of it like: A quick check to see how “dirty” the water is with carbon-based materials.

COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)

• What it measures: How much oxygen would be needed to break down all the pollution in the water using chemical reactions.
• Why it matters: If COD is too high, the polluted water can use up oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive.
• Think of it like: Measuring how much “work” it would take to clean up the pollution.

BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)

• What it measures: How much oxygen bacteria need to naturally break down organic waste in the water.
• Why it matters: If bacteria use too much oxygen, there won’t be enough left for fish, insects, and other aquatic animals.
• Think of it like: Seeing how hard nature has to work to clean the water.

Why Airports Monitor These Tests

• Protect nearby rivers, lakes, and streams.
• Make sure wastewater meets environmental regulations.
• Detect spills of fuel, oil, or cleaning chemicals early.
• Prevent pollution from de-icing fluids, food waste, and maintenance activities.
• Help wastewater treatment plants work more efficiently.
• Protect fish, wildlife, and drinking water sources.