Positioning activated carbon amendment technologies in a novel framework for sediment management

• Published in: Integrated environmental assessment and management 2015-04, Vol.11 (2), p.221-234
• Main Authors: Kupryianchyk, Darya, Rakowska, Magdalena I, Reible, Danny, Harmsen, Joop, Cornelissen, Gerard, van Veggel, Marc, Hale, Sarah E, Grotenhuis, Tim, Koelmans, Albert A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Alternating current; Bioremediation; Charcoal - chemistry; contaminated marine sediment; Contaminated sediments; Contamination; Decision making; Decisions; Ecology; Environment management; environmental black carbon; Environmental management; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Framework; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; hartwell superfund site; hydrophobic organic-compounds; long-term recovery; Management; polychaete neanthes-arenaceodentata; polychlorinated biphenyl sorption; polycyclic aromatic-hydrocarbons; Remediation; Sediment management; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Sorbents; to-water fluxes
• ISSN: 1551-3777; 1551-3793; 1551-3793
• DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1606

Contaminated sediments can pose serious threats to human health and the environment by acting as a source of toxic chemicals. The amendment of contaminated sediments with strong sorbents like activated C (AC) is a rapidly developing strategy to manage contaminated sediments. To date, a great deal of attention has been paid to the technical and ecological features and implications of sediment remediation with AC, although science in this field still is rapidly evolving. This article aims to provide an update on the recent literature on these features, and provides a comparison of sediment remediation with AC to other sediment management options, emphasizing their full‐scale application. First, a qualitative overview of advantages of current alternatives to remediate contaminated sediments is presented. Subsequently, AC treatment technology is critically reviewed, including current understanding of the effectiveness and ecological safety for the use of AC in natural systems. Finally, this information is used to provide a novel framework for supporting decisions concerning sediment remediation and beneficial reuse. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2015;11:221–234. © 2015 SETAC Key Points Successful sediment management requires site‐specific balancing of the potential benefits, adverse ecological effects, costs, time, and energy. Sediment treatment with AC is an efficient and safe innovative remediation method that can be applied in a wide range of settings, in situ or ex situ, alone or in combination with other approaches. A novel framework for decision‐support concerning sediment remediation and re‐use presented here will be a useful tool for planning the complex technological process of sediment remediation, before, during, and after remediation actions are taken.