Methods for Determination of Sum Parameters and Characterization of Organochlorine Compounds in Spent Bleach Liquors from Pulp Mills and Water, Sediment and Biological Samples from Receiving Waters

Abstract

Methods suitable for determination of extractable organic chlorine in water, sediment and fish have been optimized. Cyclohexane was found to be the best nonpolar extraction solvent. For sediment and fish samples a cyclohexane/isopropanol solvent mixture was used. The organic chlorine in the extracts was determined by neutron activation analysis. The precision of the methods varied between 1 and 11 percent over a large concentration interval. Two methods for determination of adsorbable organic halogen using carbon and XAD-4 as adsorbents were compared. The carbon adsorption method had a lower detection limit (3 µg/l) and gave higher concentrations for effluents,and fresh and brackish water samples. The XAD-4 method gave higher concentrations for sea water samples. Examples of treatment with sulphuric acid containing different amounts of water and the use of thin layer and gel permeation chromatography to separate and characterize extractable organic chlorine are shown.