Title: Pollution in the Uruguay - Argentina border: critical data analysis from two rivers and the pulp mill effluent

Authors: Elías Jorge Matta

Addresses: Institute of Cellulose Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Bv. Pellegrini 2750 – (3000) Santa Fe, Argentina

Abstract: In November 2016, Uruguay and Argentina released a joint report on the results of the monitoring of the Uruguay River, Gualeguaychú River and UPM pulp mill effluent. Data analysis from that report disclosed five key facts: 1) The mill effluent flow remained practically constant, over a period where the mill production grew 300,000 ADt/year; 2) discrepancy in the effluent flow between the Joint Report against UPM Official Reports; 3) the mass flux of adsorbable organic halides (AOX) and phenolic substances in the mill effluent falls in the periods of production growth; 4) the existence of significant peaks in the mass flux of AOX on the surface of the Uruguay River, close to the mill; 5) a mass balance in the Uruguay River revealed an unaccounted AOX input to the river, originated in the mill, with a contribution of at least twice the AOX measured in the mill effluent.

Keywords: river pollution; chemical pulp; EBKP; eucalyptus ECF bleached Kraft pulp; mill effluent; bleaching compounds; AOX; mass balance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2018.090876

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2018 Vol.9 No.1, pp.84 - 109

Received: 10 Jul 2017
Accepted: 24 Oct 2017
Published online: 30 Mar 2018 *

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