Technical Bulletin No. 0981: A Review of Color, Color Measurement, and Color Formation in Pulp and Paper Mill Sewers and Wastewater Treatment Plants

An overview of how color is characterized and measured is presented, the genesis of the current regulatory method for determining color in pulp and paper mill final effluents is reviewed, and some qualifications concerning the use of these color methods and the associated results are noted. A brief overview of factors relevant to sewer generated color is provided, followed by a review of research directed at understanding color formation in pulp and paper industry wastewaters in general. Additional details on specific research threads addressing color formation in mill sewers and wastewater treatment plants are provided in a series of appendices.