Abstract

This study on Evaluation of Discharged Untreated Wastewater from Pulping and Bleaching operations in a Bamboo Based tissue Paper Making Plant in Nigeria was conducted mainly to evaluate the pollutant loads present in wastewater produced during the Pulping and Bleaching operations of the tissue paper making progression. The wastewater samples were obtained and examined to find out the pollutants they contain by checking the availability of some physicochemical parameters using standard methods by American Public Health Association (APHA). The analyzed parameters obtained for the pulping and bleaching processes respectively are pH (7.42 and 4.49),  EC (316µS/cm and 47µS/cm), TDS (158mg/l and 24mg/l), Turbidity (19.3NTU and 28.7NTU), Temperature (28.47°C and 28.48°C), DO (3.66mg/l and 1.93mg/l), BOD₅ (74.02mg/l and 62.00mg/l), COD (140.30mg/l and 120.40mg/l), TOC (10.3% and 7.1%), THB (1.60x10³cfu/ml and 7.40x10⁴cfu/ml), THF (0cfu/ml and 2.30x10³cfu/ml) and heavy metals like Hg (<0.001mg/l and <0.001mg/l), Pb (0.281mg/l and 0.273mg/l), Ni (0.115mg/l and 0.117mg/l), Co (0.193mg/l and 0.208mg/l)  and As (<0.001mg/l and <0.001mg/l). These results were also compared amid the permissible regulatory standards set by the FMEnv and NESREA. From the comparative analysis, the bleaching wastewater sample was more polluted than that from pulping. EC, TDS, BOD₅, COD, TOC and Pb were higher in the pulping wastewater sample which could be attributed to the organic nature of the starting material; bamboo and residues of the pulping agents; caustic soda and ammonia while Acidity, Turbidity, Temperature, DO, Ni, Co, THB and TF were higher in the bleaching wastewater sample and could be caused by the bleaching agents and the availability of microorganisms. The result showed that some parameters except BOD₅, turbidity, COD, DO and pH from pulping fell within regulatory limit. This could be linked to the virgin fibre from bamboo applied which contains less pollutant compared to other industries using waste papers from different sources.