Pulp and paper mills using chlorine for bleaching produce up to 1,000 of these chlorinated organic compounds. Only about 300 of these have been identified, including dioxins, furans, and PCBs. Chlorine is not the only problem. Many of these substances cause cancer or genetic damage, are persistent, and accumulate in the environment. Toxic emissions from paper mills are concentrated in fish, then are further concentrated when those fish are eaten, whether by a bird or a person.
Studies indicate potential impacts to human reproductive and immune systems.
Chlorine and Other Options Purity. In paper it can mean the use of hazardous chemicals and toxic pollution. Throughout the industry white paper is achieved by the use of chlorine. It is the use of this one chemical that has raised so many questions and put the pulp and paper industry on the defensive. The culprit is the bleaching process.