According to http://www.water-technology.net/glossary/chemical-oxygen-demand.html "Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is the measurement of the amount of oxygen in water consumed for chemical oxidation of pollutants."
Wikipedia, naturally, has an essay on the subject: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_oxygen_demand
They cynic in me wonders if the reduction is real or paper-only and even if it is real, how much of the pollution has just been shifted elsewhere, perhaps to somewhere not too far from Shanghai?
Nevertheless, see . . .
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/print.asp?id=383422
Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=383422&type=Metro
Pollution targets may be reached early
Created: 2008-12-6
Author:Cai Wenjun
SHANGHAI is expected to meet a target to reduce water and air pollution half a year ahead of schedule, officials from Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau said yesterday.
The city has pledged to cut sulfur dioxide levels 26 percent from 2005-levels and reduce its chemical oxygen demand, or COD, discharge to 259,000 tons by 2010, a 15 percent decrease from 2005. COD is a measure of water pollution. Sulfur dioxide is a serious air pollutant.
The city government said yesterday that it would pour more money into the green schemes, investing 80 billion yuan (US$11.63 billion) on more than 180 projects.
The projects are part of the fourth Three-Year Environmental Protection Action Plan.
The city has invested 180 billion yuan since the first three-year plan in 2000.
"There is a huge increase of budget for the fourth three-year action plan, almost doubling that in the third round," said Fan Xianbiao, vice director of the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau. "A lot of money will be used on infrastructure construction and on equipment for monitoring emissions."
"We are confident that there will be a significant reduction of sulfur dioxide and COD discharge next year, and we'll hit our 2010 goals half a year early," he said.
The bureau will hold a forum on Friday for experts from China and abroad to evaluate the performances of the previous three environmental action plans and gather suggestions for the fourth.
"We will also take in local residents' suggestions," Fan said. "We plan to distribute pamphlets to local residents, give out awards to green schools and green communities, and set up an environmental protection exhibition at Shanghai Children's Museum next year."
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