Paper and pulp

This industry is also seen as one of the world's top polluters. Paper production involves firstly the conversion of wood to pulp, which involved separating the wood fibres from the lignin which binds them. Although this can be done mechanically, this is highly energy intensive and it is more typically done with chemicals, producing a variety of atmospheric pollutants. The most polluting process is the bleaching of the resulting pulp which is normally done with chlorine based bleaches. Outputs from this process, which requires a considerable amount of washing, include large volumes of water which contain highly toxic organic compounds, including furans, dioxins and other chlorinated organic compounds (see POPs). Many of these are released into rivers and end up in the ocean.