GPHVSDioxinResultsQ&A

Whatisbeingannounced?
TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hasissuedareportprovidingresultsofwaterquality
samplescollectedinSeptember2008andsubsequentlyanalyzedfordioxinsfromtheGeorgiaPacific
(GP)papermillwastewatereffluent.
Inthesummerof2008,theFloridaDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtectionrequestedthattheEPA
sampletheGPdischargefordioxinusingarelativelynewandsensitivesamplingtechniqueknownas
highvolumesampling,orHVS.PrevioustestingoftheGPdischargeusingthestandardEPAapproved
samplingandanalyticalmethodsdidnotdetectdioxinintheGPwastewaterdischarge.
However,fishtissuesamplespreviouslycollectedandanalyzedfromRiceCreekhaveindicatedthat
dioxincouldpotentiallybepresentinthewatersofRiceCreekabovetheEPAspromulgatedwater
qualitystandardof0.014picograms/liter(pg/lorpartsperquadrillion)for2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzop
dioxin(2,3,7,8TCDD).
AsGPhasrequestedarenewaloftheirNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)permit,
whichisrequiredtodischargetheirwastewaterintoFloridassurfacewaters,theDEPrequestedthis
specialsamplingtobetterunderstandthecharacteristicsandpotentialimpactsofGPseffluent.

WhatisHVS?
EPAsfederaldioxinwaterqualitycriterionandambientwatercolumnconcentrationsarewellbelow
thecurrentlyapprovedreportinglimitof10partsperquadrillion(ppq).Highvolumesampling(HVS),
however,isanewapproachatthisfacilityandwhich,forthefirsttime,allowsforthemeasurementof
dioxinlevelsatextremelylowconcentrationsthatarebelowtheEPAwaterqualitycriterion.
Thisisaccomplishedbydrawingaverylargevolumeofwaterfirstthroughglassfiberfilters,which
separateandcollectthesuspendedsolids.Thefilteredwaterthenpassesthroughspecialresincolumns
thatextractthedioxininthedissolvedphase.Thefiltersandcolumnsarethenanalyzedseparatelyto
quantifydioxinlevelsinboththeparticulateanddissolvedphases.

HVSsamplinghashadlimiteduseintheU.S.;however,interestinthistechnique,isincreasingdue
toitspotentialtoallowthedetectionofcertainpollutantsatextremelylowconcentrations.

WhatweretheresultsfromtheEPAsHVSsampling?
EPAsampledboththeGPdischargeandwaterfromOrangeCreek,anearbyreferencestreamthatisnot
expectedtobeimpactedbytheGPdischarge,andwouldthereforeberepresentativeofnatural
conditionsinNortheastFloridastreams.DuplicatesampleswerealsocollectedfromtheGPdischarge
andOrangeCreek.
Therewerenodetectionsof2,3,7,8TCDDfromthesamplescollectedfromOrangeCreek.However,
boththesampleandduplicatesamplecollectedfromtheGeorgiaPacificeffluentcontained
concentrationsof2,3,7,8TCDDwhichwerehigherthantheEPAwaterqualitycriterionfor2,3,7,8TCDD
of0.014pg/l.TheEPAcriteriaforthiscompoundisbasedonanannualaveragecondition,therefore
thissinglesamplingeventbyitselfisnotsufficienttoconcludeacriteriaexceedance.Thefollowing

D140

<T>1,2<END1>1<END2>12<END3>(612,0)<E4>22</E4>0<E5>0<E6>0<E7>11<E8>6/28/2012 12:00:00 AM11:01:13.1438472<E9></T>


chartsummarizesthesamplingresultsandincludesthetotalconcentrationof2,3,7,8TCDDalongwith
theconcentrationsfoundinboththedissolvedandparticulatephasesofthesamples.

Resultsfor2,3,7,8TCDD
Dissolved

Particulate

Phase

Phase

OrangeCreek

pg/l

0.002U

0.002U

0.002U

OrangeCreekduplicatesample

pg/l

0.002U

0.002U

0.002U

GeorgiaPacificDischarge

pg/l

0.014

0.063

0.077

GeorgiaPacificDischargeduplicatesample

pg/l

0.014

0.028

0.042

SampleLocation

Units

Total

U2,3,7,8TCDDwasnotdetectedatorabovetheanalyticalmethodreportinglimit.
EPAwaterqualitycriterion0.014pg/l

About75%ofthereporteddioxinwasfoundtobeintheparticulatephase.
Whataredioxinsand2,3,7,8TCDD?
Thepresenceofdioxinsintheenvironmenthasattractedconsiderableattentionoverthelastdecade
fromboththepublicandscientificcommunity,andhasbeenthefocusofintenseresearch.Dioxinshave
existedinourenvironmentforalongtimeandweallhavesomelevelsofdioxinsinourbodiesandit
existsnaturallyinvaryingbackgroundlevels,throughouttheenvironment.
Whenfoundintheenvironment,dioxinsareusuallyamixtureofchlorinateddioxins,furans,andsome
polychlorinatedbiphenyls(PCBs).Dioxinsarenotintentionallyproducedandhavenoknownuse.Notall
dioxinshavethesametoxicityorabilitytocauseillnessandadversehealtheffects.Historically,
commercialormunicipalwasteincineration,manufactureanduseofcertainherbicidesandchlorine
bleachingofpulpandpaperwerethemajorsourcesofdioxinstotheairandwater.IntheUS,regulatory
actionsalongwithvoluntaryactionsfromindustrieshasresultedinsignificantreductionsfromthese
sources.
Theuncontrolledburningofresidentialwasteisthoughttobethelargestsourceofdioxinstothe
environmentintheUStoday.Thefollowingchartsummarizestherelativecontributionsofvarious
sourcesofdioxinstotheenvironmentintheUSbasedondatacollectedbytheEPAin2000.

D141

0.1%

DioxinSources 2000

1.9%
2.1%

2.3%

7.3%

Backyardbarrelburning
Medicalwaste

2.9%
35%
4.6%

MunicipalWWtreatment
sludge
Municipalwaste
combustion
Coalfiredutilityboilers
Dieselheavydutytrucks

4.9%

Industrialwood
combustion
Dieseloffroadequipment

5.9%

Ethylenedichloride/vinyl
chlorideproduction
Sinteringplants

6.3%

other
26.6%

Bleachedchemicalwood
pulpandpapermills

Itisnotknownwhetherpeopleexposedtolowlevelsofdioxinswillexperiencethesamehealtheffects
seeninanimalstudies.However,basedontheavailableinformation,dioxinsarebelievedtohavethe
potentialtocauseawiderangeofadverseeffectsinhumans,includingcancer.TheEPAhas
characterizedthemixtureofdioxinstowhichpeoplearecommonlyexposedas"likelyhuman
carcinogens."TheEPAhasalsocharacterized2,3,7,8TCDDasa"humancarcinogen."
TheEPA,U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,andotherfederal
agencieshavedevelopedacomprehensiveseriesofquestionsandanswersondioxins,theirhealth
effects,andstepsthatpeoplecantaketolimittheirexposuretothesecompounds.Thisinformation
canbeaccessedat:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/dioxinqa.html

ShouldpeopleeatfishfromRiceCreek?
Theprimaryexposurepathwayforpeopleisfromtheconsumptionofanimalfats,asdioxinsmaybe
concentratedinthefoodchainsothatanimalshavehigherconcentrationsthantheplants,water,soil,
orsedimentsaroundthem(referredtoasbioaccumulation).
TheFloridaDepartmentofHealth(FDOH)hadpreviouslyreviewedfishtissuesamplescollectedand
analyzedfromRiceCreekandtheSt.JohnsRiveranddeterminedthelevelsfounddonotconstitutea
potentialhealthhazardthatwouldwarranttheneedforafishconsumptionadvisory.
GPisrequiredtoannuallyassessthelevelsofdioxininfishfromRiceCreek.Personswishingtolimit
theirexposuretodioxinsshouldreviewthedocumentaboveorcontacttheirlocalFDOHofficefor
furtheradvice.

D142


ToviewFloridafishconsumptionadvisoryinformationvisit: www.doh.state.fl.us/floridafishadvice.

WhatactionshasGPtakentoreducedioxinintheirwastewater?
GPhasinvestedmorethan$200milliondollarsoverthelastseveralyearsinmanufacturing
improvementsatitsPalatkafacilitythathaveresultedinsignificantimprovementsinthequality
oftheirdischargetoRiceCreek,including:
a.Installationofanenhanced(i.e.twostage)oxygendelignificationsystem;
b.Replacementofexistingbrownstockwashinglineswithnewbrownstock
washingsystems;
c.Installationofgreenliquordregsfilter;
d.Minimizationofallpulpingliquorleaksandspills;
e.Handlingthechlorinedioxidegeneratorwaste(i.e.saltcake);
f.Evaluatingthepotentialforaviable,longtermsustainablemarketforsuch
material;and
g.Assessingalternativetechnologiesfortreatingsuchmaterials.
GPcurrentlymeetsorexceedsallEPArequirementsintendedtominimizetheformationofdioxins.
However,thenewHVSsamplingresultssuggeststhatdioxinshavenotbeenentirelyeliminatedfrom
theGPwastewaterdischargeandthatfurtheractionsbythecompanymaybepossibletoaddressthe
findingsofthereport.

WhatwillDEPdowiththeHVSResults?
TheHVStechniquefordioxinisconsideredbyDEPtobeaResearchMethoduntilsufficientdataare
availabletovalidateitsuse.Therefore,theHVSresultscannotbeusedforcomplianceorenforcement
purposes.However,DEPcanusetheHVSresults,alongwithotherrelevantinformation,tobetter
assessthepotentialimpactsofGPscurrentdischargetoRiceCreekandtherelocationofthedischarge
totheSt.JohnsRiver.Hydrologicandwaterqualitymodelingisalsobeingconductedtoprovide
additionalinsightsonpotentialexposurepathways.Thisreportisjustonemorepieceofamuchlarger
puzzle.OurunderstandingofthesourcesandpathwaysbywhichdioxinsareintroducedintoRiceCreek
andtheSt.JohnsRiverandhowthesechemicalsaresubsequentlybioaccumulatedinfishisstillquite
limited.However,DEPbelievesthattheEPAHVSsamplingeffortwasanecessarystepinaneffortto
betterunderstandtheseissues.

DEPhasconfidenceintheEPAreportandbelievestheresultsindicatethatsomelevelofdioxinsremain
intheGPwastewaterdespitetheireffortstominimizedioxinandotherwiseimprovethequalityofits
wastewaterdischargethroughthecompanysprocessimprovements.DEPcannowdiscussthese
findingswithGPandexploreopportunitiesforadditionaltreatmentorprocesschangestofurther
reducedioxinlevelsintheeffluent.

D143