Treatment of Contaminated Dredged Material: Fid-Bau Portal

Treatment of Contaminated Dredged Material

W. D. Barnard / T. D. Hand

Task 6B of the Dredged Material Research Program (DMRP) was established to evaluate physical, chemical, and/or biological processes for treating contaminated dredged material to minimize the environmental impact of open-water and confined disposal operations. Although the majority of the sediments dredged in the United States are not contaminated by significantly high levels of harmful chemical constituents, in some cases treatment may be a necessary part of the dredging or disposal operation. This report synthesizes the results of seven contract research studies and provides an overview of the problems associated with treating dredged material slurries generated by hydraulic dredging operations. Site-specific treatment problems may be encountered on some operations where a process that was not evaluated in this program may appear to be applicable. In these cases, the advice of consultants specializing in process design should be obtained. Regardless of the nature and magnitude of the treatment problem, it is imperative to consider the compatibility of all the components of the dredging operation, including excavation, transportation, and disposal/treatment, as a total integrated system and not as separate components.