BACKGROUND In situ sorbent amendment for persistent organic pollutant sequestration in sediment has over the past 15 years steadily progressed from bench‐scale trials to full‐scale remediation applications. Hindering a wider technology uptake are, however, concerns about ecotoxic side‐effects of the most commonly used sorbent, activated carbon, on sensitive, sediment dwelling organisms like Lumbriculus variegatus. Using River Tyne sediment polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and L. variegatus as a case study, sorbent alternatives and magnetic sorbent‐recovery were investigated as potential engineering strategies to mitigate such ecotoxic side‐effects. The potential benefits of contacting the treated sediment with fresh River Tyne water, as would naturally occur over time in the intended applications, were studied.
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