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REMOVAL OF WOOD-DERIVED TOXICS FROM PULPING AND BLEACHING WASTES
Citation:
Easty, D., L. Borchardt, AND B. Wabers. REMOVAL OF WOOD-DERIVED TOXICS FROM PULPING AND BLEACHING WASTES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-78/031 (NTIS PB277185), 1978.
Description:
Wood-derived compounds known to possess toxicity toward fish and to be present in pulp mill effluents include resin and unsaturated fatty acids, their chlorinated analogs, chlorinated guaiacols, and epoxystearic acid. The objective of this investigation has been to assess the extent to which these compounds are removed from pulp mill effluents by different waste treatment systems in use in several locations in the United States. Effluents before and after treatment were collected and submitted for determination of the compounds of interest. Nearly all of the waste treatment processes studied removed the toxic compounds effectively. Large reductions in concentrations of the toxicants were observed following precipitation processes. Systems studied included lime precipitation and tertiary treatments employing alum. Reverse osmosis demonstrated essentially complete rejection of fatty and resin acids. Performance of pilot ultrafiltration units was either good or marginal, apparently depending upon the type of membrane used.