Sediments contaminated with TBT: challenges, solutions&case study
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XVII: "Dredging in a Sensitive Environment" - 2004, Hamburg, Germany
Authors:
Gunther De Becker, and Olivier Eulaerts
Abstract: The impact of TBT contamination in port sediments on future shipping and port development is significant. A lot of port authorities are concerned that the organotins will desorb from particles on agitation during dredging and strict regulations also imply that in many cases significant amounts of dredged sediments can not be relocated back into the sea again. These sediments have to be taken on land but there the problem owners are confronted with the fact that no regulations exist to reuse dewatered dredged sediments containing TBT. This paper tries to offer a global solution for the TBT problem: environmental dredging techniques are discussed together with remediation techniques for TBT contaminated sediments and the development of a legislative framework is discussed. The St. Sampsons harbour remediation project in Guernsey is given as a practical example of how to deal with TBT contaminated sediments and its associated uncertainties.
Keywords: TBT, contaminated sediments, legislation, remediation techniques