Case Study: Canal Creek

SediMite was applied in two locations of Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of an ESTCP-funded field pilot study to test the efficacy of activated carbon in remediating sediments in-situ.

Test and control plots were established in two portions of Canal Creek: a tidally-influenced freshwater marsh in the upper creek and a brackish creek channel in the lower portion of the water body. Pre- and post-application samples were collected and analyzed to determine the effects of activated carbon on the bioavailability of PCBs, DDT, and methylmercury in sediments at these two locations. Like Bailey`s Creek, the porewater concentrations were used to determine the bioavailable fraction of the contaminants, while laboratory bioaccumulation assays were used to assess the site-specific uptake.

Activated carbon delivered via SediMite reduced the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of PCBs from Canal Creek sediments by greater than 80% and 90%, respectively, compared to the control plots. Similarly, 80% reductions in DDT bioavilability were seen. Bioaccumulation of methylmercury was reduced by approximately 50%.

Key References:

Gilmour, CC, GS Riedel, G Riedel, S Kwon, R Landis, SS Brown, CA Menze, U. Ghosh. 2013. Activated Carbon Mitigates Mercury and Methylmercury Bioavailability in Contaminated Sediments. EnvironSciTechnol. 47(22): 13001-13010.

Menzie C, Amos B, Kane-Driscoll S, Ghosh U, Gilmour C. 2014. Evaluatingthe efficacy of a low-impact delivery system for in-situ treatment of sediments contaminated with methylmercury and other hydrophobic chemicals. ESTCP Environmental Restoration Project ER-200835. [cited 2014 November]. Available from: http://www.serdp.org/Program-Areas/ Environmental-Restoration/Contaminated-Sediments/ER-200835

Patmont CR, U Ghosh, P LaRosa, CA Menzie, RG Luthy, MS Greenberg, G Cornelissen, E Eek, J Collins, J Hull, T Hjartland, E Glaza, J Bleiler, and J Quadrini. 2015. In Situ Sediment Treatment Using Activated Carbon: A Demonstrated Sediment Cleanup Technology. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 11(2): 195-207.