Assessment And Remediation Of Contaminated Sediments In The Great Lakes

These proceedings describe a workshop held July 17-19, 1990 in Manitowoc, WI, at which biological remediation of contaminated sediments was discussed. For the purpose of the workshop, contaminated sediments of primary interest were those within six of the Areas of Concern (AOC) identified by the U.S./Canada International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Water Quality Board; five of which are priority concerns of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments (ARCS) program. The workshop was organized around four topic areas: (1) Overview of the Areas of Concern; (2) Biological degradataion of PCBs; (3) Biological degradation of PAHs; and (4) Biological treatment of metal species. For the first topic area, presentations were made describing site characteristic of the Ashtabula River, OH; Buffalo River, NY; Sheboygan River, WI; Grand Calumet River, IN; Saginaw River and Bay, MI; and Hamilton Harbor, Ontario, Canada. For the remaining topic areas, presentations were made by investigators actively involved in either bench, pilot, or full-scale studies concerning these areas. In this document extended abstracts written by the presenters are given, as well as brief summaries of the presentations and discussion sessions.

This book reviews the globally important freshwater resource of the Great Lakes, which is currently threatened by contaminants that compromise water quality and impact its ecological and economic health. Divided into four parts, this volume covers historic, current and emerging sources of contamination from heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants to microplastics; and identifies their ecological impacts. Due to factors ranging from rapidly changing land use practices, climate change and our emerging understanding of their impact on biological, chemical and physical interactions, the effectiveness of management strategies has proven highly variable. Continued enhancements in the rate of lake recovery are required to sustain the health of the Great Lakes. Accordingly, the book also explores recent advances in contaminant detection, along with future steps forward in lake management approaches. Revealing our current knowledge gaps and providing a roadmap towards sustainable solutions, the book offers a valuable asset for scientists, managers and the public alike.

This interim report reviews the following: what is known about contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes; the physical & biological processes related to contaminated sediment in the aquatic environment; the ecological effects of contaminated sediment; ecological improvements resulting from sediment remediation in Sweden, Japan, and the Hudson River; sediment remediation projects in the Great Lakes; case studies of sediment remediation & associated ecological benefits in Waukegan (Illinois) Harbour and Black River, Ohio; and the links between contaminated sediment & ecological damage. The final section draws conclusions & makes recommendations regarding the need for monitoring & further research.