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451627 
Journal Article 
Evaluation of blast furnace slag as a means of reducing metal availability in a contaminated sediment for beneficial use purposes 
Barth, E; Sass, B; Chattopadhyay, S 
2007 
1 
Soil and Sediment Contamination
ISSN: 1532-0383
EISSN: 1549-7887 
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC 
PHILADELPHIA 
16 
3 
281-300 
English 
WOS:000246036500003 
An attractive option for the management of dredged sediment involves the use of dredged sediment for beneficial use purposes, such as for fill material. Treatment (chemical amendment) of contaminated sediment may be necessary to limit the environmental and human availability (bioaccessibility, leachability, plant uptake) of heavy metals associated with the contaminated sediment before it is placed. A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effect of admixing a specific chemical amendment (blast furnace slag) with slightly contaminated fresh-water sediment for reducing metal availability. Initial characterization tests of the un-amended sediment showed that the some of the metals analyzed were present in relatively available (non-residual) forms. Although sulfide was present in the un-amended sediment, the amount was not sufficient to bind all of the available metals. A series of metal availability testing methods indicated that the amendment of the sediment with blast furnace slag (4% on a dry weight ratio basis) had the potential to slightly reduce the availability of some, but not all of the available metals associated with the sediment. Results of the column and batch leaching tests showed that leachability of certain metals, such as barium, nickel and zinc, was reduced by the amendment, but the leachability of copper increased. The effect of the amendment for decreasing bioaccessibility for lead and arsenic was not demonstrated. The amended soil had a detrimental effect on most of the plant species that were evaluated. The metal availability results for the plant uptake tests were also mixed, with slightly lower uptake of certain metals by corn grown within the amended sediment. 
sediment; heavy metals; blast furnace slag; bioavailability; products