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Environmental Impact of the Use of Contaminated Sediments as Partial Replacement of the Aggregate Used in Road Construction

Patricio X Pinto, Souhail R Al-Abed, Edwin Barth, Catherine Loftspring, James Voit, Patrick Clark, Anastasios M Ioannides

J Hazard Mater. 2011 May 15;189(1-2):546-55.

PMID: 21435780

Abstract:

The Indiana Harbor Canal (IHC) is a waterway extensively polluted with heavy metals and petroleum. Since there are limited disposal options for the petroleum-contaminated sediments (PCSs) of the canal, the environmental impact of IHC dewatered sediment when used as partial replacement of the aggregate used in hot mix asphalt (HMA) for road construction was investigated. In order to assess the long term migration of the target contaminants into the environment, the TCLP, SPLP, and a Constant pH leaching test were applied to a HMA mixture containing 10% of dewatered PCS, a conventional HMA, and the dewatered PCS. None of the heavy metals significantly leached from any of the tested materials in any of the conducted tests. Despite the presence of PAHs in the PCS, these were not found in any of the leachate samples. Finally, among the measured VOCs, only acetone and 2-butanone were found to leach from the asphalt mixtures and the sediment in the Constant pH experiment. It was concluded that it may be environmentally safe to replace the aggregates of the HMA used in road construction in the studied proportions with dewatered PCS based upon leaching levels as compared to TCLP regulated levels. This could be a viable, beneficial use option for the PCS, and therefore, for the canal remediation.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number Product Name Structure CAS Number Price
AS2121215 VOCs - Sediment 2 VOCs - Sediment 2 Price
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