A summary of data reflective of U.S. pulp and paper industry progress in reducing the TCDD/TCDF content of effluents, pulps and wastewater treatment sludges

This paper summarizes the data from an update to the original study which quantified releases from pulp bleaching at U. S. Mills in 1988. As of the end of 1994, industry export vector TCDD/TCDF contents have been reduced by over ninety percent on a TEQ basis from the 1988 level. Only a small percentage of mills are characterized by effluent concentrations above the nominal detection limit for TCDD. In sludges, most mills are characterized by TCDD concentrations less than 10 ppt. The new data show that approximately 90% of currently produced pulps have less than 2 ppt TCDD.