Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2022 number 4

The problem of utilization of sludge from the storage facilities of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM) for the purpose of improving the environmental situation in the Baikal region is considered. Geographical and seismic characteristics of the territory where this object of environmental danger is located are described. The factors threatening Lake Baikal are highlighted. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of sludge-lignin contained in sludge storage facilities are presented. During the recent years, all the numerous attempts to utilize sludge-lignin invariably ended in failure. Transportation of waste to other temporary settling tanks located at a distance from Lake Baikal also would not solve the problem and can only worsen the current situation due to the large volume of accumulated waste and the permanent flow of rain and snowmelt water into the settling tanks. A retrospective review of the technical, technological and organizational measures taken by the administrative and engineering personnel of the BPPM and aimed at economically affordable and environmentally friendly disposal of sludge waste from sedimentation tanks was carried out. The analysis of patent, scientific and technical data bases made it possible to select a number of documents concerning the reactivity of lignins in the sulphate production of cellulose. The information is found that the dry sludge-lignin product of BPPM had been in demand by oil and gas exploration enterprises throughout Siberia for several years (1980-90s) as a cheap substitute for water-soluble cellulose esters, starch, xanthan resins and other components for washing liquids during the construction of deep oil and gas wells. Ways of utilization of the sludge-lignin component of the BPPM sedimentation tanks are proposed.