The impact of composite sampling and other data aggregation procedures on pollution detection in the pulp and paper industry

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the inadequacy of current procedures for the measurement and analysis of effluent data. The deficiencies of these procedures are illustrated using as an example the British Columbia pulp and paper industry. Four factors have been identified which restrict the ability of various monitoring systems to detect the presence and severity of excessive effluent discharge. These factors are the significant information losses associated with current grab and composite sampling techniques, the units of measurement presently required for the assessment of effluent quality, the infrequency of compliance monitoring, and information losses associated with statistical aggregation procedures used in the compilation and analysis of effluent data.