Environmental Water Treatment Knowledge: The Meaning and Role of Total Organic Carbon (TOC)

However, because it cannot reflect the type and composition of organic matter in water, it cannot reflect the different pollution consequences caused by the same total amount of organic carbon. Since TOC is determined by the combustion method, it can oxidize all organic matter and thus more directly represents the total amount of organic matter than BOD5 or COD. It is usually an important basis for evaluating the degree of organic pollution in water bodies.

When the composition of a certain type of industrial wastewater is relatively stable, TOC discharge standards can be set based on the relationship between the wastewater's total organic carbon and its biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand, which can greatly improve the efficiency of monitoring work. During measurement, the organic carbon in the sample is first completely converted into carbon dioxide by catalytic combustion or wet oxidation. The generated carbon dioxide can be measured directly with an infrared detector, or converted into methane and measured with a hydrogen flame ionization detector, and then the carbon dioxide content is converted into carbon content.

Refers to the concentration of carbon in water, reflecting the content of oxidized organic compounds in water, in units of ppm or ppb.

It can be determined by measuring the CO2 produced from the catalytic oxidation of carbon in water.