The Benefits of Biotreatment for Reducing the Effects of Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents on Fish Reproduction in Laboratory Tests

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 161-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Martel ◽  
Tibor Kovacs ◽  
Virginie Bérubé
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Gonad Size

Abstract Pulp and paper mill effluents have been reported to cause changes in reproductive indicators of fish in laboratory and field studies. These changes include reduced egg production and gonad size, and altered hormone levels and expression of secondary sex characteristics. We examined the performance of biotreatment plants for their potential in abating effects of pulp and paper mill effluents on fish reproduction under laboratory conditions. A bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) treated in an aerated lagoon and a thermomechanical pulp mill effluent (TMPE) treated by aerobic sludge in a sequential batch reactor were selected for study. Mature fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to effluents before and after biotreatment under continuous renewal conditions for 21 days. Egg production was monitored daily, while morphometric parameters (length, weight, gonad size), secondary sexual characteristics, and steroid hormone and vitellogenin levels were measured at the end of the effluent exposure. The effluent from both mills before biotreatment impaired the reproductive capacity of minnows (egg production) at concentrations of 10 and 20% vol/vol, but not at 2% vol/vol. Exposure to biotreated effluents from both mills at concentrations of 2, 10, 20, and 40% vol/vol caused no significant differences in overall reproductive capacity of minnows as compared with controls. These results indicate that biotreatment can significantly improve the quality of a BKME and an effluent from a TMP mill with respect to the reproductive capacity of fish as determined in laboratory tests.

A Shortened Adult Fathead Minnow Reproduction Test Developed for Investigation of Cause and Investigation of Solution Work Involving Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents

2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Kovacs ◽  
Pierre Martel ◽  
Maria Ricci
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Fathead Minnow ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Reproduction Test ◽  
Effluent Exposure

Abstract The regulatory Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program in Canada has found that pulp and paper mill effluents reduce the gonad size of wild fish. In such cases, there is a need for Investigation of Cause (IOC) and Investigation of Solution (IOS) studies to find the cause(s) for these responses as well as cost-effective mitigation strategies. IOC and IOS work requires the availability of practical (in terms of time and effluent volume needs) and biologically meaningful tests for assessing fish reproduction in the laboratory. One available fish reproduction test uses adult fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and involves a two- to three-week pre-exposure period and a three-week exposure to a test substance. Work was undertaken to determine if both the pre-exposure and effluent-exposure phases could be reduced, leading to a shorter test with a lower effluent volume requirement. For this purpose, effluent samples were taken from two thermomechanical (newsprint) pulp mills and used in tests with ≤7 days of pre-exposure and 5 to 6 days of effluent exposure. Egg production was monitored in each test, and in tests with effluents from one mill, other endpoints - such as gonad somatic indices and whole-body sex steroid levels, as well as vitellogenin activity in males - were measured. The shortened fish reproduction test in this study provided results similar to tests of longer duration, specifically in terms of egg production, and was able to distinguish between pulp and paper mill effluents of different potencies. The test was also found to be directly applicable for toxicity identification evaluation work as it was clearly able to distinguish between the solids and soluble fractions of a biotreated newsprint mill effluent. As such, the test is a promising tool for EEM-related IOC and IOS work.

Further Insights Into The Potential Of Pulp And Paper Mill Effluents To Affect Fish Reproduction

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (19) ◽  
pp. 1621-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Kovacs ◽  
Pierre Martel ◽  
Maria Ricci ◽  
Jessica Michaud ◽  
Ron Voss
Keyword(s):  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents

Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents Contain Neuroactive Substances That Potentially Disrupt Neuroendocrine Control of Fish Reproduction

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1635-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niladri Basu ◽  
Chieu Anh Ta ◽  
Andrew Waye ◽  
Jinqin Mao ◽  
Mark Hewitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Neuroendocrine Control ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents

Gene expression profiling of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) neuroendocrine brain in response to pulp and paper mill effluents

2010 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason T. Popesku ◽  
Elvin Y.Z. Tan ◽  
Pierre H. Martel ◽  
Tibor G. Kovacs ◽  
Andrea Rowan-Carroll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Expression Profiling ◽  
Expression Profiling ◽  
Fathead Minnow ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents

A survey of Canadian mechanical pulp and paper mill effluents: Insights concerning the potential to affect fish reproduction

2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1178-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor G. Kovacs ◽  
Pierre H. Martel ◽  
Brian I. O'Connor ◽  
L. Mark Hewitt ◽  
Joanne L. Parrott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Mechanical Pulp ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents

Mutagenicity in Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents and in Recipient

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Langi ◽  
M. Priha
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Mutagenic Activity ◽  
Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Sludge Treatment ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Kraft Mill

The mutagenic properties of pulp and paper mill effluents were studied in three mills: bleached kraft mill with aerated lagoon treatment (Mill 1), bleached kraft mill with activated sludge treatment (Mill 2) and mechanical pulp/paper mill (Mill 3). Both treated and untreated effluents, process streams and molecular fractions were tested for mutagenicity (Ames test. Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and SCE sister chromatid exchange test, Chinese hamster ovary cells). To verify the potential environmental effects the mutagenic activity of concentrated recipient lake water (Mill 2) was also studied. The Ames mutagenicity of the bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) originated from the first chlorination filtrate, SCE mutagenicity also occurred in the alkali extraction stage filtrate (Mill 1). No Ames mutagenicity was detected in the paper mill effluent, but it was SCE mutagenic. Activated sludge treatment of BKME removed both Ames and SCE mutagenicity, but the aerated lagoon treated BKME was still SCE mutagenic. No mutagenic activity was detected in the recipient water concentrates.

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