Journal of Korea TAPPI 펄프종이기술 ISSN:0253-3200(Print)

In this study, in November 2021, the collected Papermaking water from nationwide 19 Hanji paper mills was analyzed to determine the quality of drinking water. Each of 47 water quality parameters, categorized into microorganisms, inorganic substances, organic substances, and aesthetic influencing substances, was analyzed according to the process test standards. The water quality analysis results revealed that drinking water was unsuitable in 15 paper mills, where microbial-related total coli groups were detected. In terms of inorganic substances, most of the 16 mills were found to be suitable below the standard, while two paper mills exhibited excessively high levels of fluorine and one excessively high levels of nitric acid nitrogen. All of the 19 mills exhibited suitable levels of organic substances that were below the standard. Only one workshop exhibited excessively high levels of aesthetic influencing substances in terms of hardness, pH, chlorine, manganese, and turbidity based on tap water. Moreover, the water quality standards for paper industry water were found to exceed 8, 9, 5, and 1 for hardness, pH, chlorine, and manganese, respectively. The water quality of several Korean paper mills was good, but water treatment was required for excessively high levels of water quality items. Based on the analysis results, an independent Hanji Papermaking water quality standard was proposed by referring to the drinking water quality standards (e.g., tap water and drinking groundwater) and the paper industry water quality standards.