Gothenburg testing contaminated dredge spoils

摘要

MANY PORTS ARE faced with the problem of contaminated dredging spoils and how to dispose of them. Pioneering work by the Port of Gothenburg could provide a solution as the port is planning to make use of contaminated clay from a river bed to build a new freight terminal. According to the port, a method of using the dredged spoils is currently being tested as part of large-scale field trials using dredging spoils taken from the Göta Älv river, the main river that runs through the port. Dredging spoils from this river are contaminated by a variety of substances including TEST, tributyl tin, an environmental toxin that can disrupt hormone levels. To ensure the spoils can be enclosed safely without seeping into the surroundings, exhaustive trials are being conducted. The contamination is the result of industrial pollution over the past century.