Technical Bulletin No. 0079: Odor Abatement in Semi-chemical Spent Liquor Storage Lagoons

The use of seasonal storage lagoons for controlled discharge of neutral sulfite spent semi-chemical liquor has been limited due to odors produced on microbial decomposition of the liquor. The attached Technical Bulletin describes experiments made by engineers of the Council's Virginia Polytechnic Institute Project directed toward finding a solution to this problem. Of the several methods tried, which included chemical treatment and masking, liquor concentration proved the most effective and practical. It was found that liquors having a total solids concentration in excess of 15 percent did not decompose and, hence, did not produce odors. Modern liquor concentrating techniques can produce liquor in excess of this density, and when such concentration is practiced, it appears that the holding lagoon could become a more useful tool in controlling stream loading.