What types of emissions result from pulp and paper manufacturing?
Pulp and paper production produces emissions to the atmosphere and effluent discharges to water systems. Air emissions originate from soda recovery boilers of pulp mills and from the energy production of pulp and paper operations. The main emission compounds are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (Nox), particles and carbon dioxide (CO2). Sulphur dioxide is released during the recovery of black liquor in pulp mills and the combustion of fuels containing sulphur, such as coal and oil. Nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are formed during most combustion processes. Particle emissions are formed during the combustion of solid fuels. There are also some releases of odorous sulphur compounds from pulp mills and a considerable amount of water vapour from the drying section of paper mills. There may be some CO2 and Nox emissions from the paper mills if they use natural gas, for example, as the fuel for paper drying. Effluent discharges to water systems consist mainly of wood-based organic
