Korea Association of Ocean Science and Technology (KAOSTS) 2022

Abstract

With an extensive coastline and the absence of normativity to properly manage dredged processes, Colombia faces an urgent need to set up national environmental standards of marine sediments to evaluate their contamination level and reduce decision-making uncertainty during dredging activities. Dredged materials (DM) have given rise to a relatively new field of study in Colombia, where few studies have been reported until now. This research aims to establish preliminary frameworks for increasing beneficial uses of DM and contaminated marine sediments (CMS), reducing disposal dredged volume, cost-saving in dredging works, and controlling contaminants from the environment. Qualities of marine sediments along Colombia's Caribbean Coast were investigated, including ex-situ pollutants remediation technologies. Low values of harmful heavy metals and organic pollutants were found in the literature reviewed. However, cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) concentrations were above international environmental standards. This research proposed using ex-situ solidification-stabilization as sustainable remediation technologies along with complex treatment methods. Additional issues including preliminary frameworks based on various evaluations, will be presented during the 2022 KAOSTS conference. More detailed research should be continuously conducted in Colombia to formulate marine sediments' environmental standards and enhance dredged materials sustainability.