Advanced Pollution Prevention

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Evaluate economics of pollution prevention strategies.

6. Describe pollution prevention strategies for various industries.

7. Identify best available technologies for various industries.

Reading Assignment In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Academic Search Complete database within the CSU Online Library. Hill, M., Saviello, T., & Groves, S. (2002). The greening of a pulp and paper mill. Journal of Industrial Ecology,

6(1), 107-120. Santero, N., Loijos, A., & Ochsendorf, J. (2013). Greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunities for

concrete pavements. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 17(6), 859-868.

Unit Lesson Unit VI continues with pollution prevention (P2) in particular industries. Our focus in Unit VI is on concrete paving and the pulp and paper industry. There is an assigned article on each topic. These two topics were selected for Unit VI due to the widespread use of paved surfaces and paper. Though nearly everyone is familiar with the final products – roads and paper – we mostly are not familiar with the processes used to make the roads and paper. Furthermore, most people are unaware of the P2 opportunities in these industries. This lecture will focus on the pulp and paper industry and will conclude with concrete paving. The pulp and paper industry has a history of environmental pollution. It has been criticized for the manner in which timber is harvested and for processing operations. Fortunately, environmental regulations, better processes, and increased management focus on P2 have, over time, led to increased sustainability and environmental improvements. Pulp and paper mills use a variety of processes to convert wood to paper. When wood chips enter the mill, pulping separates cellulose from lignin. The separation can be done mechanically or chemically. Mechanical processes grind the wood chips to separate the cellulose from the lignin. In chemical processes, the wood chips are mixed with chemicals and heated in large pressurized digesters (EPA, 1997). The older chemical process (used typically prior to 1950) was called the "sulfite" process, which resulted in discharge of hazardous chemicals to rivers. A newer process called the "kraft" process recovers a large percent of the waste liquids so that they can be recycled, reused, or used for another purpose (Hill et al., 2002). There are many P2 opportunities even for companies that use the kraft process. After creating pulp, the pulp goes through a washing and screening process. This process is conducted at high temperatures in order to remove chemicals and dissolved lignin. The process creates hazardous off- gases which present a P2 opportunity (EPA, 1997). Following washing and screening, the pulp may be bleached to make white paper. Then, the pulp is compressed in order to squeeze out the water. As it is compressed, it is also dried and formed into long thin sheets of paper which are wound onto rolls that are around 8 ft in diameter. There are many good videos of the pulp and paper process on the Internet. Please conduct a search online for videos on "pulp and paper process" or a similar phrase.

UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Pulp and Paper Milling and Concrete Paving

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

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In the assigned article by Hill et al., you will read about a pulp and paper mill in Maine that, prior to 1990, had a poor environmental history. With new management in the 1990s committed to environmental responsibility and employee contentment, great strides were made in P2. We hope that you enjoy learning about the P2 opportunities that were embraced. The other industry that we learn about this week is concrete paving. Not only are there many P2 opportunities in the production of concrete but also in the design of the road itself. Designing a road with a high albedo (reflectivity) helps to keep the concrete from becoming hot because sunlight radiates off of the concrete surface. Furthermore, concrete surfaces can be designed to optimize the frequency of reflected sunlight. Radiation that reflects off of the concrete and can penetrate the atmosphere and return to space (Santero et al., 2013).

If incoming solar radiation reflects (due to high-albedo surfaces) and can return to space, global warming tendencies can be reduced. This is essentially the same mechanism as the melting of polar ice. Polar ice has a high albedo (reflectivity) that reflects incoming radiation back to space. As ice melts, it becomes water, which has a much lower albedo. Due to its lower albedo, the water absorbs solar radiation and warms up. Thus, as previously year-round ice melts (such as at the Earth's poles), global warming increases (NASA, 2015). Therefore, if paved surfaces can be engineered with a high albedo, compared to traditional paving, then the tendency toward global warming can be reduced. Enjoy reading about P2 opportunities in the pulp and paper industry and reducing global warming by using P2 in the concrete paving industry.

References Hill, M., Saviello, T., & Groves, S. (2002). The greening of a pulp and paper mill. Journal of Industrial Ecology,

6(1), 107-120. Kiatying-Angsulee, V. (2015). Winter landscape [Image]. Retrieved from

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Landscapes_g114-Winter_Landscape_p123728.html NASA. (2015, May 19). Global climate change – vital signs of the plant: Impact of a warming Arctic. Retrieved

from http://climate.nasa.gov/resources/education/pbs_modules/lesson2Engage/ Santero, N., Loijos, A., & Ochsendorf, J. (2013). Greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunities for

concrete pavements. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 17(6), 859-868.

Winter Landscape

(Kiatying-Angsulee, 2015)

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 3

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (1997, Nov.). Fact sheet: The pulp and paper industry, the pulping process, and pollutant releases to the environment. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/scitech/ wastetech/guide/pulppaper/upload/1997_11_14_guide_pulppaper_jd_fs2.pdf

Suggested Reading Search YouTube or other Internet search site for videos about: "pulp and paper process" (or similar phrase) "concrete paving process" (or similar phrase)