Sustainable ex-situ remediation of contaminated sediment: A review

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yuying Zhang - , Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Author)
  • Claudia Labianca - , Polytechnic University of Bari (Author)
  • Liang Chen - , Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Author)
  • Sabino De Gisi - , Polytechnic University of Bari (Author)
  • Michele Notarnicola - , Polytechnic University of Bari (Author)
  • Binglin Guo - , Kyushu University (Author)
  • Jian Sun - , Xi'an Jiaotong University (Author)
  • Shiming Ding - , CAS - Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (Author)
  • Lei Wang - , Institute of Construction Materials (Author)

Abstract

Routine waterway dredging activities generate huge volumes of dredged sediment. The remediation of dredged contaminated sediment is a worldwide challenge. Novel and sustainable ex-situ remediation technologies for contaminated sediment have been developed and adopted in recent years. In this review paper, the state-of-art ex-situ treatment technologies and resource utilisation methods for contaminated sediment were critically reviewed. By applying different techniques, sediment could been successfully transformed into sustainable construction materials, such as ceramsite, supplementary cementitious materials, fill materials, paving blocks, partition blocks, ready-mixed concrete, and foamed concrete. We highlighted that proper remediation technologies should be cleverly selected and designed according to the physical and chemical characteristics of sediment, without neglecting important aspects, such as cost, safety, environmental impacts, readiness level of the technology and social acceptability. The combination of different assessment methods (e.g., environmental impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis and life cycle assessment) should be employed to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of different sustainable remediation technologies. We call on the scientific community in a multidisciplinary fashion to evaluate the sustainability of various remediation technologies for contaminated sediment.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number117333
JournalEnvironmental pollution
Volume287
Publication statusPublished - 15 Oct 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 34000670

Keywords

Keywords

  • Contaminated sediment, Organic contaminants, Potentially toxic elements, Resource utilisation, Stabilisation/solidification, Sustainable remediation