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Concentrations of pharmaceuticals (sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxazole hydroxylamine, prednisolone and ivermectin) showed good correlation with the number of COVID-19 infections in South Africa.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the eThekwini Municipality reforestation project on the quality of the soil within the reforestation sites, and water from the nearby rivers (White and Black Mhlasini Rivers) situated at the reforested Buffelsdraai area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This was the first evaluation of the effect of reforestation on the reduction of selected organic pollutants to be conducted in this area. The sixteen polyaromatic hydrocarbons analysed are on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of priority pollutants. The soil and sediment samples were extracted using ultrasonication, and liquid-liquid extraction was utilised for the water samples. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) was used to analyze the PAHs. PAH recoveries ranged between 60 and 110%. The PAH LOD values were between 0.30 and 0.69 μg g

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of low levels of the orthophosphate (PO43-) in environmental water systems is reported. The method is based the formation of the phosphomolybdate from the condensation of molybdate and orthophosphate in aqueous acid medium followed by reduction with sodium thiosulphate to form phosphomolybdenum blue. The system obeys Beer’s law at 880 nm (λmax) in the 0.005–0.06 mg P mL-1 phosphate concentration range. Molar absorptivity, Sandell’s sensitivity and correlation coefficient values for the determination were 57526 L mol-1 cm-1, 0.2835 μg cm-2 and 0.9948 respectively. The limit of detection was 2.213 x 10-3 mg P mL-1. The results of PO43- determination in water samples obtained using the spectrophotometric method developed in this study, compare favourably with those generated using the Murphy and Riley method which is commonly used for this analysis. Therefore, the study ably demonstrates the suitability of the present spectrophotometric method for analysis of the orthophosphate in environmental water samples.

As-synthesised MCM-48 (ASM48), graphene oxide encapsulated MCM-48 (M48GO) and reduced graphene oxide encapsulated MCM-48 (M48G) was synthesised and applied in remediation of caffeine (CAF) and phenacetin (PHE) from aqueous solution. Effects of surfactant template (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) on MCM-48 on the removal of CAF and PHE from wastewater samples was also investigated. Adsorbents were characterized with the following techniques; FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, EA. Elemental analysis revealed ASM48 had improved hydrophobic properties and the successful synthesis of M48GO and M48G. All adsorbents were applied in batch sorption studies of CAF and PHE to determine the effects of adsorbent dose, pH and initial concentration. Adsorption mechanism was through π-π interaction, EDA interaction and hydrophobic effects. Sorption kinetics showed that the data fitted pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models. Equilibrium data obtained fitted the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. M48G had the best adsorption capacity of 153.8 and 212.7 mg/g for CAF and PHE, respectively and ASM48 showed significant adsorption which was attributed to increased hydrophobicity created by the surfactant template in ASM48. Thermodynamic studies revealed adsorption process as spontaneous and exothermic. Desorption studies revealed that adsorbents could be regenerated and reused for adsorption.

In this study, ASM41 (as-synthesised MCM-41), MCM-41, MCM-41 encapsulated with graphene oxide (MCM-41-GO) and reduced graphene oxide (MCM-41-G) were fabricated and utilized in the remediation of acetaminophen and aspirin from water. A surfactant template (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) was added to ASM41 to make it more hydrophobic and its effects on the remediation of acetaminophen and aspirin from wastewater was studied. To further improve the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent, MCM-41 was encapsulated with GO and G which also aided in easy separation of the adsorbent from the aqueous solution. Comparative studies of the adsorption of acetaminophen and aspirin on all four adsorbents were investigated. Batch adsorption studies of acetaminophen and aspirin were carried out to determine the effects of pH, initial concentration, time and adsorbent dose. Adsorption mechanism was through EDA, π-π interactions, and hydrophobic effects. Data from sorption kinetics showed ASM41 had the highest q m value for aspirin (909.1 mg/g) and MCM-41-G had the highest q m value for acetaminophen (555.6 mg/g). The significant adsorption by ASM41 can be attributed to increased hydrophobicity due to the retention of the surfactant template. Thermodynamic studies revealed the adsorption process as spontaneous and exothermic. Desorption studies revealed that adsorbents could be regenerated and reused for adsorption.

Ionic liquid modified sorbent materials derived from peanut shell were prepared and used in the sorption of Congo red (CR) and reactive blue 4 (RB) dyes from aqueous solution. 1-methyl-3-decahexyl imidazolium ionic liquid (IL) was used to modify peanut shell (NS) and activated carbon (AC) from NS, to produce IL modified peanut shell (ILNS) and IL modified AC (ILAC), respectively. The adsorbents were characterised by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET), x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of sorbent dosage, initial solution pH and contact time (min) were evaluated. Adsorption was pH dependent, the modified materials (ILNS and ILAC) showed improved adsorption capacities of 136.4 and 150.0 mg g−1 for CR and 290.0 and 364.4 mg g−1 for RB respectively. Adsorption followed pseudo-second order. Also, adsorption of CR and RB onto ILAC followed the Freundlich isotherm, while ILNS was described by Freundlich and Langmuir.

There is growing interest in determining the unidentified peaks within a sample spectra besides the analytes of interest. Availability of reference standards and hyphenated instruments has been a key and limiting factor in the rapid determination of emerging pollutants in the environment. In this work, polar compounds were silylated and analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the abundant fragments within the single ion monitoring (SIM) mode and methodology. Detection limits and recoveries of the compounds were established in river water, wastewater, biosolid and sediment matrices. Then, specific types of polar compounds that are classified as emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, in the environment were targeted in the Mgeni and Msunduzi Rivers. We also performed suspect and non-target analysis screening to identify several other polar compounds in these rivers. A total of 12 compounds were quantified out of approximately 50 detected emerging contaminants in the Mgeni and Msunduzi Rivers. This study is significant for Africa, where the studies of emerging contaminants are limited and not usually prioritized.

is study investigated the presence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil collected along the banks of the Umgeni River, one of the largest rivers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. e analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). e results showed that the levels of OCPs ranged from 3.58±0.09 ng/g for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to 82.65±2.82 ng/g for HCH, with an individual mean concentration of 24.33±2.00 ng/g dry weight (dw). e levels of PCBs ranged from 10.46 ng/g for PCB105 to 89.46 ng/g for PCB180, with an average PCB value of 25.47±1.26 ng/g, dw. e highest levels of OCPs and PCBs were found at Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant (mean OCP: 32.39±3.97 ng/g and PCB: 67.87±1.67 ng/g). e two most abundant contaminants in the river were endrin and PCB180. Keywords : Umgeni River, bank soil, OCPs, PCBs, gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Water pollution by pharmaceuticals is a global issue and its remediation is important. To overcome this, we synthesised super hydrophobic nanoporous 3-dimensional ordered nanomaterials with multi-functional binding chemistry for highly efficient adsorption of estrogen (17β-estradiol). Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesised via Tours method and methoxylether polyethylene glycol (mPEG) was covalently introduced onto GO surface via facile amidation mild process to give GO-mPEG. GO-mPEG was anchored on nanoporous SBA-15 and homogenously reduced in-situ to SBA-rGO-mPEG. XRD analysis confirmed successful synthesis of SBA-15 and cross-linked GO/rGO-mPEG on SBA-15 surface. Image analysis revealed the architecture of SBA-15 as porous 3-dimensional silica network and presence of interwoven/crosslinked thin-films of GO-mPEG on SBA-15 surface. EDX mapping/elemental analysis showed expected elements were present. FTIR and textural analysis revealed the presence of different functional groups and high surface area as well as porosity, respectively. Optimal molar ratio experiments showed that 0.5SBA-rGO-mPEG had the highest sorption capacity. The relatively large surface area, 3-dimensional nanoprous silica structure and excess of polyamide/amido-carbonic functional groups on nanocomposites were suited for adsorption of 17β-estradiol. Equilibrium time was 30 min and effect of pH on adsorption was negligible. Sorption kinetic process of SBA-rGO-mPEG suited the pseudo-second-order model and equilibrium data fitted both Freundlich and Langmuir models. Qm values of 57.1, 78.5, 102.6 and 192.3 mg/g was recorded for SBA-GO, 0.1SBA-rGO-mPEG, 0.25SBA-rGO-mPEG and 0.5SBA-rGO-mPEG, respectively. H-bond, hydrophobic and π−π interactions were the sorption mechanism of SBA-rGO-mPEG after detailed analysis of data. Adsorbents was regenerated/re-used after 4 cycles with high remediation from environmental/real water samples.

The importance of improving adsorbent's adsorption efficiency in organic pollutants has been reported by many researchers. Surfactant-based modified adsorbents were a tasteful choice. As a result, the use of surfactants as a modifier for removing organic pollutants has shown to play a very big role in enhancing the adsorption efficiency of different materials. Ionic liquids are receiving extensive interest as green multipurpose compounds, primarily as a replacement for traditional chemicals that are used in many chemical processes. This work gives a brief bibliometric analysis of application of ionic liquid from 1930 to 2017, documents were collected from Scopus database and keywords from the abstracts and titles were analyzed using VOSviewer software. Furthermore, the work presents a review of conventionally known surfactants and the recent likelihood of ionic liquids for modifying adsorbents for adsorption of organic pollutants. Over the period of years between 1930 and 2017, 13,144 documents were published on the application of ionic liquids. VOSviewer software further confirms that adsorption is one of the leading areas in applications of ionic liquids. Review also showed that ionic liquid is a good modifier of adsorbents.

The adsorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and ketoprofen (KET) using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and CNTs modified with ionic liquids (ILs) was investigated. Two ionic liquids (1-benzyl, 3-hexyl imidazolium, IL1 and 1-benzyl, 3-decahexyl imidazolium, IL2) were synthesized, and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR) and high resolution-mass spectrometry (HR-MS). CNTs and modified CNTs were characterized using FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area and porosity analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Zeta potential, Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Kinetics, isotherm and computational studies were carried out to determine the efficiency and adsorption mechanism of SMZ and KET on modified CNTs. A density functional theory (DFT) method was applied to shed more light on the interactions between the pharmaceutical compounds and the adsorbents at the molecular level. The effects of adsorbent dosage, concentration, solution pH, energetics and contact time of SMZ and KET on the adsorption process were investigated. The adsorption of SMZ and KET on CNTs and modified CNTs were pH dependent, and adsorption was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. Ionic liquid modified CNTs showed improved adsorption capacities compared to the unmodified ones for both SMZ and KET, which is in line with the computational results showing performance order; CNT+KET/SMZ

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analysed in surface water, pore water and surface sediment samples collected from the uMngeni River, which is one of the largest rivers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to extract the analytes from water and pore water samples and soxhlet extraction was used to extract sediment samples with subsequent florisil clean-up and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Twelve selected OCPs were analysed and their total concentrations were found to range from 8.04–21.06 ng/mL, 36.06–188.43 ng/mL and 148.17–554.73 ng/g in unfiltered surface water, unfiltered pore water and surface sediment (dry weight (dw)), respectively. The results indicated that the concentrations of these selected pesticides were far higher in sediment (72%) than in pore water (25%) and water (3%). The most polluted sites were Northern Wastewater Treatment influent (NWTI) for water (Σ12OCP = 19.41 ± 1.43 ng/mL) and Northern Wastewater Treatment effluent (NWTE) for pore water (Σ 12 OCP = 166.23 ± 7.16 ng/mL) and sediment (Σ 12 OCP = 495.21 ± 32.38 ng/g). The most abundant individual OCPs and their average concentrations in general in the river were p,p′-DDE in unfiltered water (1.62 ±0.22 ng/mL) and unfiltered sediment pore water (17.09 ±7.96 ng/mL), and endrin in surface sediment (55.57 ± 19.01 ng/g, dw). Keywords : uMngeni River, pore water, sediment, organochlorine pesticides, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The lack of information and the need for knowledge on the organic pollutants within the area of KwaZulu-Natal together with the global problem of water supply have prompted our investigation into the analyses of eight polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in the Msunduzi River of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Soil, sediment, and water samples were collected at ten different sites along the river during winter and spring seasons. Soil and sediment samples were extracted using ultra sonication with dichloromethane while water samples were liquid-liquid extracted using dichloromethane. All sample extracts were cleaned-up using a multi-layer silica gel column and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Quality assurance measures were also determined. The percentage recoveries for water were 53–128 for all the PCBs analyzed, while sediment recoveries ranged between 69 and 105%. The highest total concentrations of the PCBs in sediment were 214.21–610.45 ng/g dw at the Du Toit sampling site and 30.86–444.43 ng/g dw basis at the wastewater treatment inlet for winter and spring, respectively. Soil PCB concentrations were 76.53–397.75 ng/g dw at the Msunduzi Town sampling site and 20.84–443.49 ng/g (dry weight) at the Du Toit sampling site for winter and spring, respectively. In addition, high PCB concentrations were found in effluent of the wastewater treatment inlet compared to other sampling sites, which ranged between 0.68–22.37 and 2.53–35.69 ng/mL for winter and spring seasons, respectively. In all the sampling sites selected for this study, Du Toit afforded the highest PCB concentration levels and the lowest was after chlorination at the Darvill wastewater treatment plant. The results presented are new and it is the first study of organic pollutants such as PCBs that has been carried out on this river.

The removal of amaranth dye using montmorillonite modified with an ionic liquid (IL) was investigated. An ionic liquid (1-methyl, 3-decahexyl imidazolium) was synthesised, and characterised by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectroscopy (HR-MS) as well as thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermal (TGA/DCS) analysis. The ionic liquid was thereafter used to modify sodium montmorillonite (Na+-Mt) to form a hydrophobic montmorillonite that has a positively charged surface, by adding IL in excess of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of Na+-Mt. Energy dispersive X-ray analyser (EDX) was used to determine the chemical composition of Na+-Mt. Modified montmorillonite (Mt-IL) and Na+-Mt was characterised using FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, and used in the adsorption study of an anionic amaranth dye. A higher CEC of the Mt-IL (112 meq per 100 g) than Na+-Mt (89 meq per 100 g) was observed. The effects of sorbent dosage, dye concentration, solution pH and contact time were investigated in order to determine optimal experimental conditions. Optimum adsorption was obtained at pH 2 and adsorption data was better described by the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. A maximum adsorption capacity of 263.2 mg g−1 was calculated. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were also investigated at temperatures of 313, 303 and 293 K. Column studies were performed on the modified material and the data generated was applied to the Thomas model where high column adsorption capacities of 393.7, 580.9 and 603.6 mg g−1 at different concentrations were obtained.

A new and straightforward synthetic method was developed for the facile synthesis of heterocycle-fused pyridine derivatives in aqueous media from Knoevenagel condensation between an aromatic aldehyde and an active methylene compound. This was followed by Michael type addition of a ketone to the activated double bond of the arylidene via intramolecular cyclization in the presence of diamine functionalized [N-(2 amino ethyl)-3-amino propyl trimethoxy silane (AAPTMS)] mesoporous ZrO2 (AAPTMS/m-ZrO2) to synthesize fused pyridines in high yield. This one-pot conversion, which involves multiple steps and requires no toxic/organic solvents, produced new C–C and C–heteroatom bonds with all reactants efficiently utilized.

The adverse effect of organic pollutant such as dyes and pharmaceuticals on aquatic life is of great concern. Thus, in this work, a highly hydrophobic composite made up of graphene oxide (GO) and ionic liquid (IL) was synthesized for the removal of reactive blue 19 (RB19) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). GO was first synthesized with the Tour method and the long chain C14 imidazolium IL through a green technique. 13C, 1H NMR and HRMS were used to determine the structure of the synthesized ionic liquid. GO-IL was produced by co-precipitation of GO and IL. FTIR confirmed the presence of the new functional groups on GO-IL. XRD confirmed GO synthesis and the crystalline nature of GO-IL. SEM and TEM confirmed the sheet like morphology of GO and GO-IL and showed enmeshment of IL in the lateral GO sheets. The experimental conditions for the adsorption of RB19 on GO was at 25℃, with pH 2.04 and 3 g/L dose of adsorbent. For GO-IL the optimum dose of 0.5 g/L and 0.9 g/L at pH of 4.01 and 6.28 for RB19 and SMZ adsorption, respectively. Maximum adsorption ( q m ) of 27.25 mg/g and 416.7 mg/g were obtained for adsorption of SMZ and RB19, respectively on GO-IL. Thermodynamic studies revealed adsorption was exothermic and the data obtained supported the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption mechanism was attributed to hydrophobic effects, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic and π - π interaction. Regeneration studies showed adsorbent reusability. This is the first report that shows the adsorption study of RB19 and SMZ on GO modified with a C14 long chain imidazolium IL. The hybrid adsorbent improved dispersion in aqueous medium, thus enhancing efficiency and cost effectiveness for the removal of RB19 and SMZ. This study helps to provide mechanistic insight into the adsorption process of RB19 and SMZ.

The occurrences of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) have been reported in several countries of the world except from African countries. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the occurrence of nine antibiotics, five antipyretics, atenolol, bezafibrate, and caffeine in wastewater and surface water samples from the Umgeni River. The water samples were extracted with solid-phase extraction using hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) and C-18 cartridges for the acidic and neutral drugs, respectively. The quantification was carried out with high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) using the standard addition method. The method limits of detections were in the range of 0.14-0.97 μg/L while the recoveries were between 53.8 and 108.1 %. The wastewater had 100 % occurrence of the analytes studied, with caffeine having the highest concentration at 61 ± 5 μg/L and nalidixic acid being the most observed antibiotic at 31 ± 3 μg/L. The waste treatment process reduced the influent concentrations by 43.0-94.2 % before discharge except for atenolol removal that is lower. The concentrations of the analytes were lower in the surface water with most compounds having concentrations below 10 μg/L except acetaminophen and atenolol. The estuary mouth and Blue Lagoon had the highest concentrations of some of the compounds in surface water which depict downstream load. The factors governing the fate and mobility of these compounds in this environment are not fully understood yet and will require further studies.

The concentration of seven Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (namely Naphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, Anthracene, Pyrene and Chrysene) were determined in 28 surface waters, 8 wastewaters, 26 soils and 26 surface sediments from the Msunduzi River, a major supply of portable water in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. Water samples were extracted using a conventional liquid-liquid extraction technique into Dichloromethane (DCM) while soils and surface sediments were extracted with an equal mixture of DCM and nhexane using the Soxhlet extraction technique. Purified extracts were analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Trace levels of PAHs were detected in some water, river bank soils and surface sediments. The concentration of PAHs was found to be comparatively higher in the soils and surface sediments than in the water. The concentration levels as well as distribution of the selected PAHs varied from season to season, however with no clear pattern. The occurrence pattern of PAHs along the river points to human-related activities as the major input sources of PAHs into Msunduzi water. Paired-up isomeric concentration ratios for surface sediments suggested pyrolysis as the major input source of PAHs, especially at sites closer to the city of Pietermaritzburg (PMB).

A method was optimized for derivatization, separation, detection and quantification of salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, nalidixic acid, ibuprofen, phenacetin, naproxen, ketoprofen, meclofenamic acid and diclofenac in surface water using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For most of the acidic drugs, recovery was in the range 60–110% and the percent standard deviation was below 15% for the entire method, with limits of detection ranging from 0.041 to 1.614 μg L −1 . The developed method was applied in the analysis of acidic drugs in Umgeni River system, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa. All of the selected acidic drugs were detected and quantified, their concentration in Umgeni River system ranged from 0.0200 to 68.14 μg L −1 .

Sappi Saiccor (situated in Durban, South Africa) dissolving pulp mill effluent, produced from an acid bisulphite pulping process, uses acacia and eucalyptus hardwoods to produce a unique and different blend of lignin that has not been previously studied. The chemical oxidation of lignin found in Sappi Saiccor’s effluent has been investigated using a number of different chemical oxidising agents, such as nitrobenzene, oxygen with and without the presence of a copper sulphate pentahydrate catalyst, and hydrogen peroxide. The reaction products were extracted with acid and identified using GC-MS and LC-MS techniques. Nitrobenzene is a good oxidising agent but tends to produce many toxic by-products and would not be acceptable on an industrial scale. Oxygen oxidation has previously been shown to produce aldehyde-type compounds, and in this work has produced good yields of both vanillin and syringaldehyde compared to previous oxygen oxidation reactions. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidising agent that tends to over-oxidise the lignin during long reaction times.Keywords: chemical oxidation, lignin, effluent, vanillin, syringaldehyde

Electro-oxidation reactions using a nickel anode were carried out on the calcium-spent liquor effluent obtained from Sappi Saiccor (formerly South African Industrial Cellulose Corporation) dissolving pulp mill as well as on lignin- and lignan-type compounds previously identified in the effluent. Voltammograms were obtained for each solution in order to identify the oxidation potentials of the compounds to be electro-oxidised. Value-added products such as vanillin and syringaldehyde were identified in the electro-oxidised reaction mixtures using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Profiles of the changes in concentration of these compounds were determined as a function of time with maximum concentrations reached within the first half hour. These findings are significant in that few electro-oxidation reactions have been carried out on the effluent of a pulp mill which uses the acid bisulphite pulping process and no results have previously been reported on the electro-oxidation of syringaldehyde. This study contributes to a further understanding of the electro-oxidation of lignin and is of value to the paper and pulp industry at large. Reduction of the organic content of the effluent by electro-oxidation was shown to be possible.Keywords: electro-oxidation, lignin, effluent, vanillin, syringaldehyde

Sappi Saiccor is one of the few pulp mills that use the acid sulphite pulping process with hardwood feedstock to produce a high-grade cellulose pulp. The major constituents identified in the calcium effluent stream and the magnesium condensate effluent stream were a mixture of lignan isomers, episyringaresinol and meso-syringaresinol and lignin-type precursors such as 3-(4'-hydroxy-3', 5'-dimethoxyphenyl)-prop-1-ene, 2, 6-dimethoxy-1, 4-benzoquinone, 3-(4-'hydroxy-3', 5'-dimethoxyphenyl)- 1-hydroxy-propane-2-one, syringaldehyde and vanillin. Water SA Vol.29(3) 2003: 237-240

The major components from Sappi Saiccor's two bleaching streams of effluent were isolated and purified using chromatographic methods and characterised using NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. The major constituents extracted by organic solvents were identified as a sterol, fatty acids and lignin precursors and differ from the components identified in the pulping effluent stream. Water SA Vol.29(3) 2003: 241-244