Pollution in the Uruguay – Argentina border: critical data analysis from two rivers and the pulp mill effluent

Abstract

In November 2016, Uruguay and Argentina released a joint report on the results of the monitoring of the Uruguay River, Gualeguaychu River and UPM pulp mill effluent. Data analysis from that report disclosed five key facts: 1) The mill effluent flow remained practically constant, over a period where the mill production grew 300,000 ADt/year; 2) discrepancy in the effluent flow between the Joint Report against UPM Official Reports; 3) the mass flux of adsorbable organic halides (AOX) and phenolic substances in the mill effluent falls in the periods of production growth; 4) the existence of significant peaks in the mass flux of AOX on the surface of the Uruguay River, close to the mill; 5) a mass balance in the Uruguay River revealed an unaccounted AOX input to the river, originated in the mill, with a contribution of at least twice the AOX measured in the mill effluent.