Standardization of wastewater discharges from pulp and paper mills

Over time, the negative impact of human activity on the environment increases. Among the industries, the pulp and paper industry stands out in particular: it has a significant negative impact on the environment. To reduce this negative impact, there is a system of discharge standards. The current system of standardization of wastewater discharges of pulp and paper mills involves the calculation of standards for permissible discharges for substances of hazard classes 1 and 2, as well as technological discharge standards. The values of the SDS largely depend on the calculated value of the dilution factor. The dilution factor of wastewater is calculated in accordance with the Methodology for developing the standard for permissible discharges of pollutants into water bodies for water users (hereinafter referred to as the Methodology). The analysis carried out in the work showed that the Methodology for the conditions of wastewater discharge through dispersive outlets used in pulp and paper industries does not contain methods for calculating the dilution factor for many hydrological and meteorological regimes. In a number of the methods provided, the applicability limits are incorrectly indicated. Thus, taking into account the identified shortcomings of the existing Methodology for calculating the dilution factor of wastewater, an improvement was proposed for the classification scheme of water bodies used in standardizing discharges by enterprises of the pulp and paper industry. The new scheme of the typology of water bodies provides the possibility of switching to the use of unified standard mathematical models that effectively simulate the processes of pollutant transfer in aquatic environments of various types. This made it possible to significantly improve the accuracy of calculating the standard values of wastewater discharges at pulp and paper mills. In addition, specific types of water bodies receiving wastewater from large domestic enterprises of the pulp and paper industry and cardboard and printing products were identified. The study showed that the most significant factors are the nature of the water body and the features of the wastewater discharge regime. Thus, each enterprise has the opportunity to choose an appropriate standardized mathematical model that provides an adequate description of the pollutant transfer process and an accurate assessment of the required level of wastewater dilution before they enter water bodies. This approach will ensure compliance with strict environmental standards and prevent further deterioration of the environment due to the production activities of pulp and paper industry enterprises.

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