Distribution of Some Organic Compounds in the Receiving Waters of a Kraft Pulp and Paper Mill

Abstract

Water, seston, sediment, and macrophyte samples were collected from Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior at distances up to 6.8 km from the effluent discharge of a kraft pulp and paper mill at Red Rock, Ontario. Fifteen compounds have been identified in mill effluent and six of these were found in samples from the Bay. Mill-related compounds were found most often in water and sediment samples, less often in seston samples, and in none of the macrophytes samples. Dehydroabietic acid, present in mill effluent in excess of 1 mg/ℓ, was found in most water and sediment samples and a few seston samples. This compound is a good indicator of the areal influence of the effluent. Palmitic acid and dioctyl phthalate were also widely distributed. Acetovanillone and sandaracopimaric acid were found in one water sample 1.0 km from the discharge. 7-oxodehydroabietic acid was found in five water samples at distances of up to 4.7 km from the discharge. This is apparently the first time that this compound has been reported in a mill effluent or in environmental samples.