To determine five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), several dilutions of a sample are analyzed for dissolved oxygen before and after a five-day incubation period at 20 °C in the dark. In some cases, bacteria are used to provide a standardized community to uptake oxygen while consuming the organic matter in the sample; these bacteria are known as "seed". The difference in DO and the dilution factor are used to calculated BOD. The resulting number (usually reported in parts per million or milligrams per liter) is useful in determining the relative organic strength of sewage or other polluted waters.
The BOD test is an example of analysis that determines classes of materials in a sample.