Technical Bulletin No. 0018: Methods for the Determination of the BOD of Kraft Mill Wastes

  The National Council for Stream Improvement's project at Louisiana State University is studying the factors influencing the purification of kraft mill effluents by natural processes, This subject was selected because it appears from the work of Carpenter and Porter (l), Hodges (2), and Crawford (3): that mechanisms operative in the natural process provide the most economical and reliable means of treating these wastes. Hence a knowledge of the factors stimulating and retarding natural decomposition should allow the selection or development of structures and operating techniques capable of purifying the waste most efficiently. Since the major waste component of the kraft mills is most generally highly diluted black liquor, and the fact that this component exerts the greatest influence on the character of the whole effluent, it was selected as the material to be studied. The influence of various minor wastes on the purification of dilute black liquor will be a part of these studies.