The Interactions of Stabilized Scrubber Sludge and Fly Ash with the Marine Environment

Abstract

Abstract Scrubber filter cake (sludge) and fly ash have been stabilized into blocks. These blocks have been submerged in an estuarine environment on the north shore of Long Island, N.Y. for nearly two years and have maintained their structural integrity. The blocks were colonized by a diverse aquatic community of marine plants and animals. The uptake of trace metals from the coal waste blocks by the marine organisms was not greater than that found on concrete reference blocks placed nearby. The initial colonization of the coal waste blocks proceeded somewhat differently at first when compared to the concrete blocks; however, by the end of the first year of submersion both materials supported an almost identical community. Little or no physical abrasion or erosion was observed but biological erosion by the boring clam Barnea truncata was observed to occur. The results indicate that ocean disposal of stabilized scrubber filter cake and fly ash in block form appears to be compatible with the marine environment.