Technical Bulletin No. 0016: A Study of the Toxic Components of the Waste Waters of Five Typical Kraft Mills

The studies reported in the attached Technical Bulletin were first reported on by the National Council in 1948. At that time the aquatic biology project in progress at the Institute of Paper Chemistry dealt with the toxic effects of kraft pulping effluents on fish and fish food organisms. This Technical Bulletin reports on the levels of four components of kraft mill effluent believed then to account for the bulk of the biologically active components of kraft effluents. While these components were in most cases demonstrated to be adverse to fish life at concentrations existing in the effluent, after dilution to the extent that effluent is diluted below many mills toxicity did not occur. Similar investigations were made using fish food organisms and the findings reported in Technical Bulletin No. 25.