Wastewater from pulp and paper industry and its treatment

Sa？etak The complexity of the composition and the proven toxicity of wastewater from pulp and paper industry poses a great danger to all components of the environment. The treatment of such water is very specific and complex, and it regularly requires a combination of different treatment procedures in order to render it harmless and comply with the legally prescribed criteria for its discharge into the environment. The paper briefly describes the processes of pulp and paper production since these directly influence the quantity and quality of the generated wastewater. The data on the wastewater composition are provided, its impact on the aquatic ecosystem is described and the impact of the toxic components on different test organisms is indicated. Based on the insights gained from the research results published in world literature, the most frequently used physico-chemical and biological treatment procedures are described, including the data on the efficiency of individual processes with respect to achieving a reduction in indicators of wastewater load generated in pulp and paper production processes. The paper also provides a summary of the new findings related to the treatment of wastewater from pulp and paper industry, which may serve as a basis for further research in the field