Nonpurgeable total organic halide analysis and the characterization of river water quality adjacent to the discharge from a kraft mill

Examination of river water quality downstream of the outfall from a kraft mill has shown that the mill effluent water (bleach liquor) contains significant amounts of chlorinated organic compounds. These compounds, which appear to be polymeric in nature, may be indirectly detected in the river using the nonpuregeable total organic halide (NPTOX) test. Approximately 30% of the chlorinated organic content of the river is contained in an acid insoluble material (Fenextract), which was separated from the other components in a river-water sample by pH adjustment. Fenextract appears to be a macromolecular chlorinated thiolignin that is formed in the kraft bleaching process when chlorine dioxide is the primary oxidizing agent. Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of Fenextract has allowed some additional insight to be gained into the reaction mechanism occurring during the chlorine dioxide bleaching process.