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The objective of this research was to evaluate the distribution of the molecular weights of the recalcitrant organic matter contained in kraft mill effluents and identify microbial consortia responsible for an anaerobic biodegradable fraction. As a result, the average removal efficiencies of chemical organic demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD

Paper machine white water is generally characterized as a high concentration of suspended solids and organic matters. A combined physicochemical-biological and filtration process was used in the study for removing pollutants in the wastewater. The removal efficiency of the pollutant in physicochemical and biological process was evaluated, respectively. Furthermore, advanced technology was used to analyse the water quality before and after the process treatment. Experimental results showed that the removal efficiency of suspend solids (SS) of the system was above 99%, while the physicochemical treatment in the forepart of the system had achieved about 97%. The removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour had the similar trend after physicochemical treatment and were corresponding to the proportion of suspended and the near-colloidal organic matter in the wastewater. After biological treatment, the removal efficiency of COD and colour achieved were about 97% and 90%, respectively. Furthermore, molecular weight (MW) distribution analysis showed that after treatment low MW molecules (5 kDa) increased. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence analysis showed that most humic-like substances were effectively removed during the treatment. The analyses of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that the composition of organic matter in the wastewater was not complicated. Methylsiloxanes were the typical organic components in the raw wastewater and most of them were removed after treatment.

This paper presents the development and evaluation of three fuzzy neural network (FNN) models for a full-scale anaerobic digestion system treating paper-mill wastewater. The aim was the investigation of feasibility of the approach-based control system for the prediction of effluent quality and biogas production from an internal circulation (IC) anaerobic reactor system. To improve FNN performance, fuzzy subtractive clustering was used to identify model's architecture and optimize fuzzy rule, and a total of 5 rules were extracted in the IF-THEN format. Findings of this study clearly indicated that, compared to NN models, FNN models had smaller RMSE and MAPE as well as bigger R for the testing datasets than NN models. The proposed FNN model produced smaller deviations and exhibited a superior predictive performance on forecasting of both effluent quality and biogas (methane) production rates with satisfactory determination coefficients greater than 0.90. From the results, it was concluded that FNN modeling could be applied in IC anaerobic reactor for predicting the biodegradation and biogas production using paper-mill wastewater.

Stigmasterol is a phytosterol contained in Kraft mill effluent that is able to increase over 100% after aerobic biological treatment. This compound can act as an endocrine disrupter as its structure is similar to that of cholesterol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal of stigmasterol from Kraft mill effluents treated by a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with steroidal metabolite detection. The MBBR was operated for 145 days, with a hydraulic retention time of 2 days. Stigmasterol and steroidal metabolites were detected by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector during MBBR operation. The results show that the MBBR removed 87.4% of biological oxygen demand (BOD5), 61.5% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 24.5% of phenol and 31.5% of lignin, expressed in average values. The MBBR system successfully removed 100% of the stigmasterol contained in the influent (33 µg L(-1)) after 5 weeks of operation. In that case, the organic load rate was 0.343 kg COD m(-3) d(-1). Furthermore, different steroidal compounds (e.g., testosterone propionate, stigmast-4-en-3-one, 5α-pregnan-12-one-20α-hydroxy, 5α-pregnane-3,11,20-trione and 3α-hydroxy-5α-androstane-11,17-dione were detected in the Kraft mill effluent as potential products of phytosterol biotransformation.

The application of coagulation-flocculation (CF) process for treating the paper-recycling wastewater in jar-test experiment was employed. The purpose of the study was aimed to examine the efficiency of alum and poly aluminum chloride (PACl) in combination with a cationic polyacrylamide (C-PAM) in removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity from paper-recycling wastewater. Optimization of CF process were performed by varying independent parameters (coagulants dosage, flocculants dosage, initial COD and pH) using a central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). Maximum set required 4.5 as pH, 40 mg/L coagulants dosage and 4.5 mg/L flocculants dosage at which gave 92% reduction of turbidity, 97% of COD removal and SVI 80 mL/g. The best coagulant and flocculants were alum and chemfloc 3876 at dose of 41 and 7.52 mg/L, respectively, correspondingly at pH of 6.85. These conditions gave 91.30% COD and 95.82% turbidity removals and 12 mL/g SVI.

The precipitation of dissolved sulphide ions by electrocoagulation was studied at laboratory scale using pulp and paper mill wastewaters. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and phosphorus were analysed before and after the electrocoagulation process to examine the suitability of the process for treatment of sulphide odour from pulp and paper mill wastewater. The electrochemical cell used in this study was constructed from monopolar dissolving iron electrodes. The dissolved iron concentration was directly proportional to the applied electric charge (C/L) at the tested current densities. Electrochemically produced ferrous iron (Fe2+) precipitated dissolved sulphide ions efficiently. Electricity consumption of the treatment was 4-8 C/mg S(2-) while iron consumption was 1.1-2.2 mg/mg S(2-) during the initial phase of the sulphide precipitation when the applied electric charge was 10-60 C/L. When 60 C/L was applied, 88% of dissolved sulphides and 40% of phosphorus was precipitated. The reduction in DOC was low during the sulphide precipitation. According to these results, electrocoagulation can precipitate dissolved sulphides effectively and thereby reduce sulphide odours of pulp and paper mill wastewaters.

A long-term monitoring study was conducted on effluents from a bleached kraft pulp and paper mill located in Eastern Canada. The study was designed to gain insights into temporal effluent variability with respect to fish reproduction as it related to production upsets, mill restarts and conditions affecting biological treatment performance. Final effluent quality was monitored between February 2007 and May 2009 using biochemical and chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, resin and fatty acids, a gas chromatographic profiling index, and the presence of methyl substituted 2-cyclopentenones. Selected effluent samples were evaluated for effects on fish reproduction (egg production) using a shortened version of the adult fathead minnow reproductive test. The events relating to negative effects on fish reproduction were upsets of the pulping liquor recovery system resulting in black liquor losses, operational upsets of the hardwood line resulting in the loss of oxygen delignification filtrates, and conditions that reduced the performance of biological treatment (e.g., mill shutdown and low ambient temperatures). The reductions in egg production observed in fathead minnow were associated with biochemical oxygen demand values > 20 mg/L, GC profiling indices > 1.2 and the presence of methyl-substituted 2-cyclopentenones at concentrations > 100 μg/L. This study demonstrated the importance of both in-plant measures for controlling the loss of organics as well as the optimum operation of biological effluent treatment for eliminating effluent-related effects on fish reproduction (egg production) in the laboratory.

The objective of this study was to investigate the synthesis of zeolites from paper sludge ash, and to evaluate their applications for water purification to simultaneously remove NH4+ and PO43- in aqueous solution. Paper sludge ash had a low abundance of Si and a significant Ca content, due to the presence of calcite that was used as paper filler. Na2SiO3 was added to the NaOH solution to increase Si content in order to synthesize zeolites with high cation exchange capacity. The original ash without addition of Si yielded hydroxysodalite with a cation exchange capacity of ca. 50 cmol/kg. Addition of Si to the solution yielded Na-P1 (zeolite-P) with a higher cation exchange capacity (ca. 120 cmol/kg). The observed concentrations of Si and Al in the solution during the reaction explain crystallizations of these two phases. The product with Na-P1 could simultaneously remove NH4+ and PO43- from the solution between pH 4 and 9.

Combustion of industrial and domestic wastes produces significant amounts of dioxins (PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs). These wastes contain numerous kinds of materials, including inorganic elements, which may play an important role in dioxin formation upon combustion. Six paper samples--impregnated with NaHCO3, NaCl + fly ash, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and PVC + NaHCO3--were combusted in a well-controlled incinerator at 512-760 degrees C and exhaust gases were analyzed for dioxins (PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs). Addition of fly ash, which contained high levels of Ca and Cl, to NaCl impregnated-newspaper increased total dioxin formation from 80.8 ngg(-1) to 139 ngg(-1) during combustion. Addition of NaHCO3 to PVC-impregnated newspaper increased total dioxin formation from 220 ngg(-1) to 288 ngg(-1). Formation of PCDDs from NaHCO3/PVC-impregnated newspaper were significantly less than that from newspaper impregnated with PVC alone. On the other hand, more PCDFs formed from NaHCO3/PVC-impregnated newspaper than from newspaper impregnated with PVC alone. Addition of NaHCO3 to a PVC-impregnated newspaper changed the production pattern of dioxins. PVC- impregnated newspaper produced the greatest amount of coplanar PCBs (12.3 ngg(-1)), which may be accounted for by the relatively high level of TEQ value (3.31 ng-TEQg(-1)) of this sample. Generally, addition of fly ash and alkali metals, such as Na, to paper samples increased the total dioxin formation in exhaust gases during combustion. The results suggest that alkali metals increase Cl concentrations at a reaction site by trapping chloride ions and/or chloride radicals and consequently increasing dioxin formation.

This manuscript focused on the degradation behavior of lignin and the reduction of residual COD in the biologically treated paper-mill effluent by means of ionized gas from nonthermal plasma unit. The removal efficiencies of COD, lignin, and color after treated with ionized gas were over 95, 93, and 97%, respectively. It has been found that the degradation of aromatic ring has been proved by FTIR, 1H NMR and UV spectra. The degradation of lignin through ionized gas was accompanied with the increase of and the decrease in pH. The results show that the residual COD in the biologically treated paper-mill effluent contains NBD matter with aromatic ring compounds. Also NBD organic matter such as aromatic ring in effluent treated with ionized gas was degraded. The residual COD declined by 60% at the ionized gas flow rate 5 L/min and HRT 30 min.

This study was undertaken to investigate the suitability of applying the conventional method of chemical deinking flotation of digital offset prints and ecological implications of the disposal of digital offset prints, with special emphasis on the content of heavy metal cations. The EDXRF method was used to determine the concentrations of Pb, Zr, Sr, As, Co, Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Ca, and K cations in handsheet ashes after flotation as well as in ashes of foams separated from cellulose suspension in the flotation phase. The same method was applied to determine the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Co in process water filtrates obtained from the cellulose suspension after flotation and in foam filtrates. Centrifuging and coagulation previously treated flotation process water, while foam filtrates were centrifuged. Concentrations of Pb, As, Sr, Zr, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn were determined in the sediments obtained by centrifuging process water. The trials were done with unprinted substrates without deinking chemicals, with unprinted substrates in the presence of deinking chemicals and with printed substrates in the presence of deinking chemicals. Cation analysis revealed that deinking chemicals facilitate release of cations from the substrate and their transition into process water. Concentrations of most cations in the flotation process water, in foam water as well as in the sediment of the process water of printed substrate flotation deinking were lower than those obtained by flotation of unprinted substrate suspension. Polymer particles of ElectroInk incompletely separated from cellulose fibers prevent release of cations from cellulose fibers into process water. Deinking chemicals do not affect release of cations from ElectroInk particles, so the substrate is the main source of increased concentration of cations in the water of digital offset print deinking. The major part of cations in process water is bound to the colloid particles of the filler (CaCO3) released by substrate disintegration and to particles of fine fibers.

The River Saale is the Elbe's major tributary flowing through the state of Thuringia, Germany and receives organics inputs from several industrial facilities including pulp and paper mills. Resin acids constitute a major class of polar organics and environmental toxins derived primarily from pulp and paper processing of softwoods. Since wastewater treatment methods at pulp and paper mills are not always capable of removing the persistent resin acids prior to effluent discharge, alternative or complementary degradation methods may be required. Here, the facile photodegradation of four resin acids--abietic, dehydroabietic, isopimaric, and pimaric--was observed with pseudo-first-order kinetics when exposed to broad band and UV254-radiation. Further experimentation in rotating annular biofilm reactors with UV-exposed and unexposed River Saale water spiked with abietic and dehydroabietic acids indicated that photolysis is an effective pretreatment method for resin acid biodegradation. The bacterial toxicity of the aqueous resin acids solutions as measured with Microtox luminescence assays decreased with exposure time. Consequently, photo- and biodegradation of the resin acids did not generate any notable amounts of toxic intermediates and/or the intermediates formed were further degraded into compounds of lower toxicity than the parents. With tandem photo- and biological treatment at pulp and paper mills, as well as in-situ degradation by solar radiation and natural biofilms within the River Saale, resin acid inputs can be reduced in both concentration and toxicity to near undetectable levels with little or no ecological significance.

This study examines the application of photochemical and non-photochemical advanced oxidation processes on the treatment of textile, Kraft bleaching, photoprocessing, and pharmaceutical wastewaters. Effects of reaction conditions on the treatment efficiency of industrial wastewater have been investigated. The results were evaluated in terms of biodegradability enhancement. The results indicated depending upon the composition of wastewater and applied pretreatment all applied AOPs had an ability to increase the biodegradability of studied wastewaters.

Lab-scale sequencing batch reactors were used to treat chemithermomechanical pulping wastewater that had chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the range of 5,980-8,990 mg/L, and 2,240-3,190 mg/L, respectively. A cycle time of 24 hour, with a hydraulic retention time of 34.3 hours was used. With 1 hour of settling, COD and BOD reductions of 30-41% and 67-78% were observed. However, with a 4-hour settling, COD and BOD reductions of 53-62% and 88-94% were achieved, respectively. Most of the oxygen demand reductions occurred within the first 16 hours of aeration. Adjustment of pH did not result in significant improvement in COD removal. Resin acids and fatty acids concentrations in the CTMP wastewater were reduced in the SBR process; however, they were still not fully detoxified in the effluent.

All experiments were carried out in a prototype vortexing fluidized bed combustor (VFBC). The dimension of the combustion chamber is 0.7 x 1.4 x 2 m, and the freeboard section is 1 m i.d. and 4 m in height. Paper sludge was used as the feeding material. Two types of coal particles were employed as the supplementary fuel. In order to understand the characteristics of the VFBC system for paper sludge incineration, the effect of various operating parameters, such as the primary airflow, excess air ratio, and secondary airflow rates, on temperature distribution, ash elutriation, combustion efficiency, and pollutant emissions were investigated.

Economic studies of proposed environmental regulations begin with estimates of compliance actions and their costs. The assumptions about compliance actions can be misleading. In economic studies pertaining to regulations for volatile organic compound emissions by Illinois paper coaters, three sources of shortcomings are particularly evident: 1) failure to appreciate linkages between regulations applying to closely allied industries; 2) emphasis on well-known technologies, despite strong evidence that they will be displaced; and 3) heavy reliance on EPA technical data, whether or not they fairly represent state or local conditions.

Energy calculations for manufacture of paper from logs and waste papers are reported based on data on energy use from the Canadian Census of Manufactures and estimates for collection and de-inking of waste. The energy requirement of the recycling technology explored exceeds the energy requirement of manufacture from logs by 33%. It appears that forest conservation through recycling has a fossil fuel cost.