Linking Sediment Chemical and Biological Guidelines for Characterization of Dredged Material

Abstract

Dredged material management in Spain and possible options for the different categories is discussed according to chemical sediment quality guidelines. Also an approach using an integrated assessment that includes biological end points as part of a tiered testing schema is discussed for future implementation in Spanish recommendations. To establish the feasibility of using both kinds of guidelines, an example of the utility and validity of the approach that links both chemical and biological guidelines proposed for the management of dredged material characterization processes data from a particular case study associated with a port in the north of Spain are discussed. The use of both kinds of methodologies, together with the necessity of assessing the bioavailability of some contaminants, has been shown as a powerful tool for the best selection of different disposal options of dredged material in the case study described.

Keywords:

• Toxicity tests
• Ecotoxicology
• Contamination
• Dredging management
• Sediment quality guidelines

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank personnel from the Foundation AZTI for their help during the sampling of the sediments used in the description of the case study. Special thanks are due to Maria Jesus Belzunce for her suggestions during the selection of the samples selected in the case study of Pasajes. The validation of part of the bioassays was carried out under a joint research project between CEDEX and the University of Cadiz. The described work was supported as part of a grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Development (BOE 298, 13/13/2002, p. 43,477).

Notes

^a Σ₇-PCBs.

*This paper was presented in the third workshop organized by SedNet working group on “Monitoring Sediment Quality at River Basin Scale” held at IPIMAR, Lisbon, Portugal, January 29–31, 2004.