Remediation of Dredged Marine Sediments Contaminated with PCBs by Separation and Washing Techniques

Abstract

A washing treatment of using various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and surfactants was evaluated to degrade PCBs in contaminated marine sediments and the mean removal efficiency of total PCBs were from 0 to 47 % in the sediment for 1 hour duration of the treatment. The highest removal efficiency was shown in the fine sediment (<32 μm) treated 15% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% Tween 80 among various concentrations ofhydrogen peroxide and surfactants. In case of 63 -125 μm of the sediment size fraction, 1% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% Tween 80 also showed the highest removal efficiency of total PCBs. Most of treatment conditions were tested for from 10 minutes to 24 hour and the sediments treated for 24 hour yielded the highest degradation rate of total PCBs in tested contaminated sediment. The level of tPCBs in treated marine sediment by the combination of hydrogen peroxide and Tween 80 satisfy the government regulatory limit of tPCBs for remediation of contaminated harbor marine sediments in South Korea. From these findings, we are currently designing bench scale pilot system to develop a commercial system to be used in harbors around the nation.hour duration of the treatment. The highest removal efficiency was shown in the fine sediment (<32 μm) treated 15% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% Tween 80 among various concentrations ofhydrogen peroxide and surfactants. In case of 63 -125 μm of the sediment size fraction, 1% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% Tween 80 also showed the highest removal efficiency of total PCBs. Most of treatment conditions were tested for from 10 minutes to 24 hour and the sediments treated for 24 hour yielded the highest degradation rate of total PCBs in tested contaminated sediment. The level of tPCBs in treated marine sediment by the combination of hydrogen peroxide and Tween 80 satisfy the government regulatory limit of tPCBs for remediation of contaminated harbor marine sediments in South Korea. From these findings, we are currently designing bench scale pilot system to develop a commercial system to be used in harbors around the nation.