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Mercury in the pulp and paper mill environment: appraisal and perspective

Journal Article · · Tappi; (United States)
OSTI ID:6113063
;
The contribution of the pulp and paper industry to mercury pollution has been critically investigated. Mercury discharges were studied in the environment of five pulp and paper mills. The US pulp and paper industry does not use mercurials anymore. Still, its main raw materials contain mercury as contaminant. The most significant airborne mercury discharge occurs through burning of coal (1-2 lb of Hg/1000 ton of pulp). The fuel use by the paper-pulp industry may represent about 2% of the total coal burned and the industry's share in airborne mercury pollution amounts to just that. Paper-pulp mills discharge only a very small amount of mercury (about 0.1 lb of Hg/1000 ton of pulp) into the waterways. Actual mercury accumulation in the riverbeds around three mills was found to be around 0.1 ppm. About one fourth of the paper production is being incinerated in the United States. Even if all paper products were burned, this could release world-wide about 14 ton of Hg into the atmosphere, only a small fraction of the airborne mercury released by fossil fuel burning. 15 references, 7 tables.
Research Organization:
Westvaco Corp., Laurel, MD
OSTI ID:
6113063
Journal Information:
Tappi; (United States), Journal Name: Tappi; (United States) Vol. 55:11; ISSN TAPPA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
INDUSTRY
MATERIALS
MERCURY
METALS
OXIDATION
PAPER INDUSTRY
POLLUTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY