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HANDBOOK: REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS
Citation:
U.S. EPA. HANDBOOK: REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS. EPA/625/6-91/028, 1991.
Impact/Purpose:
Information
Description:
Contaminated sediments may pose risks to both human and environmental health. Such sediments may be found in
large sites, such as the harbors of industrialized ports. However, they are also frequently found in smaller sites, such as streams, lakes, bayous, and rivers. In response to the risk that contaminated sediments pose, new methods for the remediation of contaminated sediment problems have developed rapidly during the last few years. Remediation options include no action (monitored natural attenuation), removal, treatment, and containment. All areas of contaminated sediment remediation have seen considerable development, especially technologies for the treatment of contaminated sediments.
This handbook focuses on small site contaminated sediments remediation with particular emphasis on treatment
technologies. It is designed to provide a succinct resource booklet for government regulatory personnel, permit writers, remedial project managers, environmental scientists and engineers, plant owner/operators, environmental consultants, and other individuals with responsibilities for the management of contaminated sediments.
The handbook is organized to address the major concerns facing contaminated sediment remediation. Chapter I
describes the physical and chemical characteristics of sediment, with special emphasis on ways in which sediment
property changes affect contaminant mobility. Chapter II addresses sediment toxicity assessment and describes the
current status of the EPA effort to address this important topic. Chapter III discusses sampling techniques and analytical and modeling methods used to characterize contaminated sediments. Chapter IV describes removal and transport options. Chapter V presents pre-treatment technologies. Chapter VI, the primary focus of this handbook, describes four major classes of treatment technologies. This chapter offers a comprehensive overview of specific treatment technologies and addresses applicability, limitations, and demonstrated results; it also presents references for further information. Finally, Chapter VII reviews disposal alternatives for contaminated sediments that are not treated.