Evaluating the effectiveness of using ClO_2 bleaching as substitution of traditional Cl_2 on PCDD/F reduction in a non-wood pulp and paper mill using reeds as raw materials

The effectiveness of ClO_2 bleaching as a replacement for conventional Cl_2 bleaching,which is intensively practiced in developing countries,to reduce polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs)in non-wood pulp and paper mills has not been field tested.The first field study was performed to investigate PCDD/F variations when ClO_2 bleaching was used as a substitute for conventional Cl_2 bleaching in a non-wood pulp and paper mill.It was found that the PCDD/F toxic equivalents(TEQs)in solid and effluent samples were approximately 1.3–14.9 times lower when ClO_2 bleaching was used instead of the conventional Cl_2 bleaching.2,3,7,8-Substituted tetrachlorinated dibenzofurans(2,3,7,8-TCDF)were the dominant contributors to total PCDD/F TEQs in samples from the investigated mill when using conventional Cl_2 bleaching.The formation amounts of 2,3,7,8-TCDF were reduced from 1.56–2.76 pg TEQ/g to 0.02–0.32 pg TEQ/g in solid samples when ClO_2 bleaching was used instead of the conventional Cl_2 bleaching.The replacement of Cl_2 with ClO_2 might decrease the chlorination reactions of dibenzofuran as potential precursors,and thus reduce the formation amounts of 2,3,7,8-TCDF.The results could provide important knowledge for suggesting the best available technique for PCDD/F reduction for non-wood pulp and paper mills in developing countries.

Multi-wavelength measurements of aerosol optical absorption coefficients using a photoacoustic spectrometer

The atmospheric aerosol absorption capacity is a critical parameter determining its direct and indirect effects on cli- mate. Accurate measurement is highly desired for the study of the radiative budget of the Earth. A multi-wavelength （405 rim, 532 nm, 780 nm） aerosol absorption meter based on photoacoustic spectroscopy （PAS） invovling a single cylin- drical acoustic resonator is developed for measuring the aerosol optical absorption coefficients （OACs）. A sensitivity of 1.3 Mm-l （at 532 nm） is demonstrated. The aerosol absorption meter is successfully tested through measuring the OACs of atmospheric nigrosin and ambient aerosols in the suburbs of Hefei city. The absorption cross section and absorption Angstrom exponent （AAE） for ambient aerosol are determined for characterizing the component of the ambient aerosol.