Anaerobic Digestion of Kraft Pulp Mill Foul Condensate Under Thermophilic and Mesophilic Conditions

Off-flavours in fish were studied from 1969 to 1981 at the Food Research Laboratory of the Technical Research Centre of Finland using sensory methods. In all, 1982 samples of 18 species of Finnish fish, most of them suspected of being tainted, were studied. A trained taste panel scoring on a numerical scale of 0-10, where a score of 5 or less was unacceptable, was used. The off-flavours described were oil, kraft pulp mill effluent, sewage (musty), muddy, rancid, and others. Of all these samples, 34.9% were unacceptable. The most common off-flavour was kraft pulp mill effluent, present in 41.2 % of the unacceptable samples. In acceptable fish slight off-flavours were somet imes found. Of the muddy fish, only 35.2 % of the bream and 28.8 % of the northern pike were unacceptable. The panel was able to discriminate between the different off-flavours, but, in some cases, the boundaries were vague.

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Characterization of odorous compounds from bleached kraft pulp mill effluent

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1995.0396 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 31 (11) ◽

pp. 35-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

B. G. Brownlee ◽

S. L. Kenefick ◽

G. A. MacInnis ◽

S. E. Hrudey

Keyword(s):

Gas Chromatography ◽

Kraft Pulp ◽

Pulp Mill ◽

Dimethyl Disulfide ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Pulp Mill Effluent ◽

Kraft Pulp Mill ◽

Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽

Methyl Phenyl Sulfide ◽

Library Spectrum

Odour compounds in extracts of bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME) have been characterized by olfactory gas chromatography (OGC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A variety of sulfury odours was detected by OGC in addition to woody and pulp mill-like odours. Three sulfur compounds were identified by comparison of retention times and partial mass spectra with authentic standards: dimethyl disulfide, 3-methylthiophene and thioanisole (methyl phenyl sulfide). Typical concentrations in BKME were 1, 0.05, and 0.5 μg/l, respectively. Their odour intensity is relatively low and they were not detected by OGC. Dimethyl trisulfide was tentatively identified by comparison of its partial mass spectrum with a literature (library) spectrum. Its concentration in BKME was estimated at 0.5-2 μg/l. It corresponded to a skunky odour in the OGC profiles. Efforts to identify another odour peak, eluting just after 3-methylthiophene, with a pronounced alkyl sulfide odour were unsuccessful.

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Growth responses of periphyton and chironomids exposed to biologically treated bleached kraft pulp mill effluent

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1997.0553 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 35 (2-3) ◽

pp. 339-345 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. G. Dubé ◽

J. M. Culp

Keyword(s):

Kraft Pulp ◽

Pulp Mill ◽

Pulp Mill Effluent ◽

Growth Responses ◽

High Concentration ◽

Wood Extractives ◽

Kraft Pulp Mill ◽

Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽

Low Levels ◽

High Concentrations

Experiments were conducted in artificial streams to determine the effects of increasing concentrations of biologically treated bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKPME) on periphyton and chironomid growth in the Thompson River, British Columbia. Periphyton growth, as determined by increases in chlorophyll a, was significantly stimulated at all effluent concentrations tested (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0% and, 10.0%). Chironomid growth (individual weight) was also significantly stimulated at low effluent concentrations (≤1.0%). At higher concentrations (5.0% and 10.0%), chironomid growth was inhibited relative to the 1.0% treatment streams. Increases in growth were attributed to the effects of nutrient and organic enrichment from BKPME. The effluent contained high concentrations of phosphorus and appears to be an important source of carbon for benthic insects grazing on the biofilm. In high concentration effluent streams, chironomid growth decreased despite low levels of typical pulp mill contaminants. This suggests that other compounds in the effluent, such as wood extractives, may be inhibiting chironomid growth. These results support findings of field monitoring studies conducted in the Thompson River where changes in periphyton and chironomid abundance occurred downstream of the bleached kraft pulp mill.

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