Evaluation of Toledo Harbor Dredged Material for Manufactured Soil. Phase 1: Greenhouse Bench-Scale Test

Abstract

Abstract : Soil particles and other materials in runoff find their way to the bottom of waterways. These soil particles become sediment that eventually has to be removed from the waterways to maintain navigation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the Nation's navigable waterways and annually dredges approximately 400 million cubic meters of sediment. A small volume of this dredged material contains a wide range and level of contaminants such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and metals. Dredged material that cannot pass stringent open-water disposal testing criteria requires confined disposal alternatives. Finding disposal sites for dredged material is becoming difficult, since most confined disposal facilities (CDFs) are at full capacity. Likewise, sewage sludge can no longer be disposed of in the ocean; consequently, sewage sludge is accumulating on land at many sewage-treatment facilities. Also, large volumes of sewage sludge are currently placed in landfills; however, landfills are filling at accelerated rates. To resolve the accumulation and disposal of sewage sludge, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued 40 CER Part 503 regulations. The 503 regulations promote the reuse of biosolids derived from sewage sludge and establish maximum limits for metals in soils amended with biosolids derived from sewage sludge for agricultural production. The recycled soil manufacturing technology offers a quick, simple, low-technology, effective, and affordable means of allowing the reuse of dredged material, provides additional placement capacity for future dredged material by emptying many existing full CDFs, and recycles waste materials to the benefit of the American people.