Behavior of suspended solids in supernatant of containment area

Abstract

The recent increased interest in the environment has been accompanied by the strengthening of environmental standards associated with water contamination due to dredging and the quality of effluent water exhausted from containment areas. Further, the behavior of suspended solids in the supernatants from containment areas has become an important design criterion. In this study, the current velocity of a supernatant, concentration of suspended solids, and particle size of these solids are measured, with the mutual relationships between these factors investigated to analyze the behavior of suspended solids in the supernatants in a containment area. Such analyses reveal that the current velocity of the supernatants and the concentration of suspended solids are closely related to the particle size of these suspended solids. Measurements are taken, with quantitative relational expressions obtained between the current velocity of the supernatants and the concentration of suspended solids and between the current velocity and the particle size of the suspended solids. The results help predict the concentration of suspended solids in water discharged from a containment area during dredging; thereby, allowing modified containment areas to be designed, with the calculation of a minimum width and size of a weir to prevent the re-suspension of suspended solids.