Sprinkling wood using brackish water - effects on the inorganic content of wood

Wet storage of wood using brackish water sometimes occurs at pulp and paper mills near the coast. Since this practice may have undesirable consequences, a study was conducted to determine the effects on the inorganic content of the wood by sprinkling the wood with water of various salinity levels. Three small piles of Norway spruce (Picea abies) pulpwood were sprinkled with water containing 0%, 1%, and 3% NaCl over a nine-week period in order to simulate fresh, brackish, and salt water. Wood, bark, and the recycled sprinkling water were then analysed for Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, N, P, Cl, and Na. The contents of Cl and Na increased in both wood and bark during the sprinkling, but there were no consistent trends in the changes in concentrations of the other elements. The concentrations of all elements, except Cl and Na, increased in the recycled sprinkling water during the sprinkling period. Overall, wet storage of wood with brackish water did not seem to increase the risk of undesired increases in the concentrations of inorganic elements in the wood