Technical Bulletin No. 0711: Loading and Treatability of Adsorbable Organic Halide in Kraft Bleach Plant Effluents

This report presents information about adsorbable organic halide (AOX) in kraft pulp bleaching effluents, and considers the fate of AOX in mill sewer and biological treatment systems. The report includes a review of published literature, mill-scale data describing the AOX discharges from various kraft pulp bleaching sequences, and experimental results which quantify the fraction of AOX that is amenable to degradation by simple chemical means. Factors found to influence the fate of AOX originating in bleach plant effluents include atomic chlorine charge, residence time in sewer and treatment systems, pH, temperature, and presence of sulfide.