Upal Ghosh

Nyckelord: NATURVETENSKAP; NATURAL SCIENCES; sediment remediation; thin-layer cap; in situ capping; sorbent; nutrients; eutrophication; organic contaminants; HOCs; metals; bioavailability; side-effects; biogeochemistry; Baltic Sea; Ecotoxicology; ekotoxikologi; Sammanfattning: Sediments in coastal areas are particularly exposed to anthropogenic pollution. These sediments can constitute secondary sources by re-introducing contaminants to the environment.

Abstract The freely dissolved concentration (Cfree) of hydrophobic organic chemicals in sediments and soils is considered the driver behind chemical bioavailability and, ultimately, toxic effects in benthic organisms. Therefore, quantifying Cfree, although challenging, is critical when assessing risks of contamination in field and spiked sediments and soils (e.g., when judging remediation necessity or interpreting results of toxicity assays performed for chemical safety assessments).

While microbial dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been observed in sediments over the last 3 decades, translation to the field has been difficult due to a lack of a clear understanding of the kinetic limitations.