• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2019

We carried out basic research to evaluate covering material for improving and managing contaminated benthic environments in coastal areas. Changes in nutrient concentration such as phosphate, hydrogen sulfide of contaminated sediment, and pH, Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) were investigated through mesocosm experiments for 6 months by covering contaminated sediment with granulated coal ash. Calcium oxide eluted from the granulated coal ash was confirmed to neutralize acidified sediment by increasing pH through hydrolysis. Also, calcium oxide and silica eluted from the granulated coal ash adsorbed and precipitated with phosphate in the sediment. The concentration of phosphate in the sediment investigated decreased by ca. 84.31 %. Similarly, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide decreased by 133.5 mg/L in one month. The hydrogen sulfide is considered to have reacted with substances such as manganese oxide which were eluted from the granulated coal ash and precipitated. Also, it was concluded that the hydrogen sulfide was reduced since anaerobic conditions in the sediment weakened. According to the results of these mesocosm experiments, granulated coal ash was found to be effective to remediate and manage benthic environments by covering the surface layer of sediment.