Long‐Term Studies of Fish Health before and after the Closure of a Bleached Kraft Pulp Mill in Northern Ontario, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-176
Author(s):  
T.J. Arciszewski ◽  
M.E. McMaster ◽  
K.R. Munkittrick
Keyword(s):  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Fish Health ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Kraft Pulp Mill ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Long Term Studies

scholarly journals A 30-Year Study of Impacts, Recovery, and Development of Critical Effect Sizes for Endocrine Disruption in White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) Exposed to Bleached-Kraft Pulp Mill Effluent at Jackfish Bay, Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin J. Ussery ◽  
Mark E. McMaster ◽  
Mark R. Servos ◽  
David H. Miller ◽  
Kelly R. Munkittrick
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Sex Steroid ◽  
White Sucker ◽  
Fish Health ◽  
Pulp Bleaching ◽  
Kraft Pulp Mill ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp

Jackfish Bay is an isolated bay on the north shore of Lake Superior, Canada that has received effluent from a large bleached-kraft pulp mill since the 1940s. Studies conducted in the late 1980s found evidence of reductions in sex steroid hormone levels in multiple fish species living in the Bay, and increased growth, condition and relative liver weights, with a reduction in internal fat storage, reduced gonadal sizes, delayed sexual maturation, and altered levels of circulating sex steroid hormones in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii). These early studies provided some of the first pieces of evidence of endocrine disruption in wild animals. Studies on white sucker have continued at Jackfish Bay, monitoring fish health after the installation of secondary waste treatment (1989), changes in the pulp bleaching process (1990s), during facility maintenance shutdowns and during a series of facility closures associated with changing ownership (2000s), and were carried through to 2019 resulting in a 30-year study of fish health impacts, endocrine disruption, chemical exposure, and ecosystem recovery. The objective of the present study was to summarize and understand more than 75 physiological, endocrine, chemical and whole organism endpoints that have been studied providing important context for the complexity of endocrine responses, species differences, and challenges with extrapolation. Differences in body size, liver size, gonad size and condition persist, although changes in liver and gonad indices are much smaller than in the early years. Population modeling of the initial reproductive alterations predicted a 30% reduction in the population size, however with improvements over the last couple of decades those population impacts improved considerably. Reflection on these 30 years of detailed studies, on environmental conditions, physiological, and whole organism endpoints, gives insight into the complexity of endocrine responses to environmental change and mitigation.

Characterization of odorous compounds from bleached kraft pulp mill effluent

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Brownlee ◽  
S. L. Kenefick ◽  
G. A. MacInnis ◽  
S. E. Hrudey
Keyword(s):  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Dimethyl Disulfide ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Pulp Mill Effluent ◽  
Kraft Pulp Mill ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽  
Methyl Phenyl Sulfide ◽  
Library Spectrum

Odour compounds in extracts of bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME) have been characterized by olfactory gas chromatography (OGC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A variety of sulfury odours was detected by OGC in addition to woody and pulp mill-like odours. Three sulfur compounds were identified by comparison of retention times and partial mass spectra with authentic standards: dimethyl disulfide, 3-methylthiophene and thioanisole (methyl phenyl sulfide). Typical concentrations in BKME were 1, 0.05, and 0.5 μg/l, respectively. Their odour intensity is relatively low and they were not detected by OGC. Dimethyl trisulfide was tentatively identified by comparison of its partial mass spectrum with a literature (library) spectrum. Its concentration in BKME was estimated at 0.5-2 μg/l. It corresponded to a skunky odour in the OGC profiles. Efforts to identify another odour peak, eluting just after 3-methylthiophene, with a pronounced alkyl sulfide odour were unsuccessful.

Growth responses of periphyton and chironomids exposed to biologically treated bleached kraft pulp mill effluent

1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 339-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Dubé ◽  
J. M. Culp
Keyword(s):  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Pulp Mill Effluent ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Wood Extractives ◽  
Kraft Pulp Mill ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
High Concentrations

Experiments were conducted in artificial streams to determine the effects of increasing concentrations of biologically treated bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKPME) on periphyton and chironomid growth in the Thompson River, British Columbia. Periphyton growth, as determined by increases in chlorophyll a, was significantly stimulated at all effluent concentrations tested (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0% and, 10.0%). Chironomid growth (individual weight) was also significantly stimulated at low effluent concentrations (≤1.0%). At higher concentrations (5.0% and 10.0%), chironomid growth was inhibited relative to the 1.0% treatment streams. Increases in growth were attributed to the effects of nutrient and organic enrichment from BKPME. The effluent contained high concentrations of phosphorus and appears to be an important source of carbon for benthic insects grazing on the biofilm. In high concentration effluent streams, chironomid growth decreased despite low levels of typical pulp mill contaminants. This suggests that other compounds in the effluent, such as wood extractives, may be inhibiting chironomid growth. These results support findings of field monitoring studies conducted in the Thompson River where changes in periphyton and chironomid abundance occurred downstream of the bleached kraft pulp mill.

Evaluation of the Sub-lethal Toxicity of Bleached Kraft Pulp Mill Effluent to Carassius auratus and Dicentrarchus labrax

2010 ◽  
Vol 217 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário S. Diniz ◽  
Ruth Pereira ◽  
Ana C. Freitas ◽  
Teresa A. P. Rocha-Santos ◽  
Luisa Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carassius Auratus ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Dicentrarchus Labrax ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Pulp Mill Effluent ◽  
Kraft Pulp Mill ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽  
Lethal Toxicity
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