Identification of the need for research on chemical tracers to detect pulp mill effluent exposure

A critical factor in the assessment of the effects of effluent exposure on sampled biota is the verification of exposure in nearfield and farfield zones and verification of the lack of exposure in the reference areas. At mills with rapid dilution of effluent, or where physical barriers to fish movement between exposure and reference areas do not exist, an appropriate fish tracer must be used. In Canada, because of multiple industrial and municipal discharges at certain pulp mill sites, it is difficult to assess the effects of the mill effluent in isolation from those of neighboring influences unless tracers specific to the different effluents are used. Examples of substances proposed as tracers for pulp mill effluent include resin acids, chloroguaiacols, chlorophenols, dioxin, and furan congeners. This paper gives a summary of tracer substances used to date and the problems encountered in selecting and measuring suitable chemical tracers for regulated environmental effects monitoring studies at Canadian mills. Based on their experience, there is urgent need for research into appropriate tracer substances for pulp mill as well as other industrial and municipal effluents.