Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
609082 
Journal Article 
An analysis of the environmental pressure exerted by the eucalyptus-based kraft pulp industry in Thailand. (Special Issue: The 'greening' of industry and development in Southeast Asia: perspectives on industrial transformation and environmental regulation) 
Jawjit, W; Kroeze, C; Soontaranun, W; Hordijk, L 
2006 
The study reported here focused on the environmental pressure exerted by large-scale eucalyptus (Eucalyptus)-based kraft pulp industry in Thailand. The objective of this study was to identify the most important sources of greenhouse gases, acidifying and eutrophying compounds and tropospheric ozone precursors, human toxicity compounds and solid waste associated with the kraft pulp industry. To this end, we performed an environmental systems analysis of the kraft pulp industry system in which we distinguished between two subsystems: the eucalyptus forestry subsystem and the kraft pulp production subsystem. Results indicate that the environmental pressure is caused by the kraft pulp production subsystem rather than by the eucalyptus forestry one. The chemical recovery unit was found to be the most important source of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide and responsible for more than one-half of the emissions of greenhouse gases and acidifying compounds from eucalyptus-based kraft pulp production in Thailand. Biomass combustion in the energy gene ration unit was an important source of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide which in turn were responsible for over 50% of the emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors. Approximately 73% of the eutrophication was caused by biological aerobic waste water treatment emitting phosphorus. With respect to the eucalyptus forestry, only fertilizer use in eucalyptus plantations was the relevant source of pollution through the emission of nitrous oxide and phosphate. 
124-38-9, 630-08-0, 10024-97-2, 10028-15-6, 7723-14-0, 7446-09-5; acidification; aerobic treatment; air pollutants; air pollution; biomass; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; combustion; emission; environmental degradation; environmental impact; eutrophication; fertilizers; forest plantations; global warming; greenhouse effect; greenhouse gases; nitrogen oxides; nitrous oxide; ozone; phosphate; phosphorus; polluted water; public health; pulp and paper industry; pulp mill effluent; solid wastes; sulfate pulping; sulfur dioxide; toxicity; waste water; waste water treatment; water pollution; water quality; Eucalyptus; Thailand