Sediment remediation can improve Great Lakes water quality
Abstract
Polluted sediments have been identified as the largest source of contaminants to the Great Lakes food chain. The Great Lakes Basin contains 42 'Areas of Concern' with significant beneficial use impairments and contaminated sediment. A table is presented of contaminated sediment remediation projects in 19 Great Lakes Areas of Concern, giving details of the location, nature of project, volume of sediment treated, date and cost. The ecological effectiveness of projects at Waukegan harbour, Ill., and Black river, Ohio, has been demonstrated. These projects were conducted to remove sediments, respectively, contaminated with PCB and PAH. The need for monitoring how sediment remediation relates to improved ecological conditions is emphasized.