Factors Affecting the Lagooning of
White Water*
H.   R.   AMBERG
Research Assistant,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J.
Suspended solids can be effectively removed from white water by
aiding clarification with chemicals. Rudolfs and Axe1 found that
in practice and experimentally, about 90 per cent of the suspended
material and turbidity is removed by chemical coagulation and settling,
regardless of the coagulant employed. The reduction of B.O.D. was
found to range between 20 and 40 per cent in mill recovery equipment
or in the laboratory. Even complete removal of suspended solids does
not solve the pollution problem unless relatively large volumes of
dilution water are available in the receiving stream.
Studies have been in progress for several years at Rutgers University
on biological stabilization of white water wastes from paperboard mills.
One phase of biological treatment dealt with an investigation of the
factors involved in the lagooning of settled white water.
CHARACTER  AND  VOLUME  OF WASTE
The strength and the character of the waste discharged by each
mill are influenced by the type of stock used, the reclamation facilities
and the recirculation of used water. Since the waste used in this
investigation was settled prior to treatment, the major portion of the
B.O.D. was exerted by finely divided collodial materials and materials
in solution. The waste treated had a B.O.D. that ranged between 200
and 300 ppm and can be classified as a medium strength waste.
The waste discharged from a board mill averages about 10,000
gallons per ton of product2. Assuming an average B.O.D. of 250
ppm, a board mill of 100 tons daily production will discharge 2080
pounds of B.O.D. per day, contained in one million gallons of waste
per day. In other words, this mill would discharge a waste having a
population equivalent of 12,000.
MATERIALS,   METHODS,   AND   EXPERIMENTAL   PROCEDURE
The white waters used in this investigation were obtained from a
board mill in New Jersey.  The waste was settled for four hours before
* Paper of the Journal Series, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station,
Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, Department of
Sanitation.
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