Establishment of preliminary frameworks for beneficial uses of dredged materials, including contaminated marine sediments in Colombia

Abstract

Qualities of marine sediments along Colombia's Caribbean Coast were mainly investigated, including ex-situ pollutants treatment technologies. This research aims to establish preliminary frameworks to improve environmental assessment for beneficial uses of dredged materials (DM), including contaminated marine sediments (CMS) in Colombia, where such studies have not been reported until now. This research proposed using solidification-stabilization as sustainable remediation technologies along with complex methods. 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. For those reasons, remediation strategies should be considered to control pollutants. Finally, future research should focus on the potential benefits of combining multiple technologies to improve outcomes. More detailed studies should be continuously conducted in Colombia to formulate marine sediments' environmental standards and enhance dredged materials sustainability.