The inocula requirements and other experimental conditions for the biodegra
dable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) procedure have been investigated and
optimized to facilitate its use as a routine parameter for characterizing t
reatment plant performance. Initial inocula of unfiltered secondary effluen
t, commercial biochemical oxygen demand seed, mixed-liquor suspended solids
(MLSS), and incubation temperatures of 20 and 37 degrees C were examined u
sing standard solutions of known DOC, treatment plant effluents, and ozonat
ed treatment plant effluents. Among all inocula tested, MLSS provides the f
astest BDOC exertion rate. It is possible to measure BDOC within five days
using a larger volume of MLSS inoculum. The results from this research may
be used to support the development of a standard BDOC method for water qual
ity assessment.