Comparison of methods for the measurement of biodegradable organic carbon and assimilable organic carbon in water

In the last few years different methods for determining assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) in drinking water have been proposed. However, there is no agreement on the most suitable methods for the assessment of treatment processes. A comparison of six methods, one for AOC(P17) determination and five for BDOC determination, using water samples taken at different steps in a water-treatment process in Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona, Spain) is reported. Results show that the biodegradable matter values given by AOC measurements are substantially lower than those obtained using BDOC methods. The various BDOC methods do not differ significantly in their results.