Post #2-Paper Making Process

Throughout the second unit of our chemistry course, many examples of chemical reactions were prevalent in every slideshow. Throughout the article I retrieved about about the chemical processes involved in the creation of paper, many examples of chemical reactions were present. This article relates to the unit of chemical reactions because the chemicals used in the paper industry convert brown wood chips into the pieces of paper we see in our printers. Two different  chemical reactions can be involved in the paper making process including, krafting and bleaching.

In order for the brown wood chips to be converted into a white piece of paper, the wood will undergo the krafting chemical process. The brown wood chips have something called cellulose fibers within the actual wood which are bound together by lignin. The kraft process involves removing the lignin from the wood pulp. The wood chips are combined with a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na2S) forming sodium alginate. The Sodium alginate will dissolve in water, causing the fibres to seperate. During the bleaching process, lignin reacts with a chlorine based bleaching chemical and provides a water soluble compound, removing dirt and lignin.

There are many health risks that come with living near a paper mill. If you live near a mill where chlorine compounds are used in order to bleach the pulp, harmful byproducts called organochlorines, which include dioxins and other similar compounds. These products are known to cause cancer, as well as causing developmental, reproductive, and immune system damage.

It is no shock seeing as chlorine compounds are rated the most hazardous industrial chemicals when present in large quantities.

Based on the evidence presented, I don’t believe it is ethical for people to live near paper mills. I believe there should be a law in place which would entail the specific distance that one is allowed to live from a paper mill. The health effects are drastic and could lead to long-term health issues, or even death overtime.

Questions:

1. Seeing as krafting poses less health issues, why don’t all paper mills utilize the process of krafting?

Reference Page:

Soskolne, C L, and L E Sieswerda. “Cancer Risk Associated with Pulp and Paper Mills: a Review of Occupational and Community Epidemiology.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21199601.

Brennan, John. “What Are Some Chemical Reactions Used in the Manufacturing of Paper?” Sciencing.com, Sciencing, 9 Oct. 2018, sciencing.com/chemical-reactions-used-manufacturing-paper-13973.html.