Understanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Odors at Kraft Pulp Mills, 2005 Engineering, Pulping & Environmental Conference

As kraft mills succeed in controlling total reduced sulfur releases from mill processes, mill wastewater treatment plants are more frequently being investigated as sources of community odor. NCASI is involved in a number of studies intended to help identify the compounds and related factors that contribute to these odors. Work to date has yielded analytical tools for quantifying odorous compounds in wastewater and has added to the understanding of the effects of hard piping of kraft condensates and other wastewater treatment operational factors on odor. This paper provides an update on research activities in this important area. The current status and initial findings from projects related to odor compound measurement in ambient air and wastewater are discussed, including surveys of reduced sulfur compounds in wastewater treatment plants, measurement of emissions from wastewater treatment basins, and the development of predictive models to estimate hydrogen sulfide emissions from wastewater treatment plants.