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CONSERVATION: One for the Fish

There are cases when newer technologies can help older mills. For example, Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd.’s bleached kraft mill in Saint John, NB, had initially installed a small effluent-treatment system to meet regulations.

Yet, in a pioneering move, it commissioned a reverse-osmosis (RO) system from Zenon Environmental Inc., in 1998, to treat about 3600 L/min (or 950 gal/min) of clean condensate. “That’s probably our premier pulp and paper project,” says Michael Stadnyckyj, marketing manager for Zenon in Oakville, ON.

The system has been able to remove 88% BOD and 89% COD from the condensate feed stream, corresponding to respective reductions of 2000 kg/day and 4000 kg/day.

In meeting effluent regulations there were, as well, decided benefits to the fish residing in the river. “After installation of the RO system, sublethal effects of plasma hormone depressions were reduced for a fish species found in the Saint John River,” wrote Dub et al in an article recently published (PPC, August 2000). — Perry J. Greenbaum