Sustainable management options and beneficial uses for contaminated sediments and dredged material

Abstract

Remediation and management of contaminated sediments and dredged material is often difficult due to the complex mixtures of chemical substances that usually impact the sediments. The selection of the best option that leads to the sustainable management of the sediments of a site is not an easy task, and it should be based on the integration of technical, economic, social and environmental criteria. In this paper, an overview of the main alternatives for the management of contaminated sediments and dredged material is presented. This work highlights the wide variety of techniques and treatments that can be applied, including no action (i.e. monitored natural recovery), in-situ capping, in-situ treatments, ex-situ treatments or confined disposal. The utilisation of contaminated dredged material for a beneficial use, directly or after treatment, should be considered as its preferred final destination. Therefore, special emphasis has been given in this study to the presentation of possible beneficial uses of dredged material. The results of our research group, which are summarised in this paper, about the use of contaminated sediments as alternative raw materials in the manufacture of traditional clay-based ceramics, can serve as an example of beneficial uses that lead to marketable products.