Geotechnical Engineering Issues in Ocean Waste Disposal: A Review

Marine pollution has received considerable attention during the past few years as the news media has focused on such topics as contaminated seafoods, algae blooms, fish and mammal kills, and dirty beaches. The source of these pollution problems are many and include: sewage outfalls, industrial discharges, storm runoff from agricultural lands and metropolitan areas, waste sludges, dredge materials, and highly concentrated chemical and radioactive wastes. Although the United Nations has banned marine dumping, there is still the problem of legacy wastes and low level discharges into the coastal zone. Disposal of these wastes in the marine environment typically involves either: their placement directly on or within the seabed or dilution in the water column. If wastes are diluted in the water column, they have the potential to be adsorbed onto the surface of sediment particles which are settling to the seabed. As particles settle through the water column they are subjected to extensive dispersal and may eventually be injested by bottom-feeding organisms or bio-accumulation by plankton and, thus, enter the food chain. Geotechnical engineers working as members of multidisciplinary teams apply quantitative knowledge about the behavior and physical performance of earth materials toward designing systems for disposing of these wastes in the oceans and aid in monitoring waste disposal sites. In dredged material disposal geotechnical engineers assist in selecting disposal equipment, predict stable characteristics of dredged material mounds, design mound caps, and predict erodibility of the material. With sewage outfalls, geotechnical engineers design foundation and anchor elements, estimate scour potential around the outfalls, and determine the stability of deposits made up of discharged materials. Geotechnical engineers also consider the influence that pollutants have on the engineering behavior of marine sediment and the extent to which changes in behavior affect the performance of structures founded on the sediment. In each of these roles, careful application of geotechnical engineering principles can contribute toward more efficient and environmentally safe disposal operations.     

Sensitivity of tanaid Apseudes latreillei (Milne-Edwards) populations to sewage pollution

Apseudes latreillei (Milne-Edwards) is a common and abundant tanaid in soft-bottom communities from waters off East Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Its sensitivity to pollution is not clear despite being an abundant and widely distributed crustacean, since it has been reported as both a tolerant and sensitive species. This paper tests the sensitivity of A. latreillei to sewage discharges in fine-sand communities along the Castellon coast (W. Mediterranean). We analysed variation in tanaid populations between sites at varying distances from sewage outfalls with respect to population density, size distribution, sex ratio and their correlation with different abiotic factors of waste water and sediment. Results showed clearly that A. latreillei populations were affected by the presence of sewage outfalls, to such an extent that sewage disposal outlets produced a decrease in population density and changes in size spectra.     

Instrumentation needs for ocean biology

Research and development in ocean engineering, particularly in the areas of deep ocean drilling and platform construction, have progressed remarkably in the past few decades. By and large, instrumentation for biological ocean research, in comparison, remains simplistic. A brief review of marine biological sampling devices is provided, indicating the relative inadequacies of marine bio-instrumentation. Equipment for plankton, benthos, and nekton sampling has been improved in recent years compared to that available for nannoplankton. Nevertheless, there are limitations even in the best of these devices, and improvements in sampling gear would benefit ocean biology significantly. Precise sample collection of surface slicks, water column, and ocean sediment is mandatory for biological assessment of environmental impact. The necessary sampling gear is either not available or under development and, in cases where the instrumentation is available, it is, in general, either limited in application or not entirely reliable. As an example, increasingly, the ocean serves as the receptor of discharge from sewage outfalls, deep water disposal, and ocean dumping. Thus assessment of biological impact is required, particularly in light of the increasing frequency of reports of survival of bacteria and viruses pathogenic for man in those regions of the world oceans significantly affected by these activities. Improved instrumentation for aseptic sample collection and retrieval of water, sediment, and biota for quantitative, as well as qualitative, microbiological analyses are needed. Developments in baromicrobiology have been rapid, but improved instrumentation is needed. Even though aseptic collection of deep ocean water samples is possible, sediment sample collection for microbiology is still accomplished by coring or grab devices, with no instrument yet available for quantitative undisturbed sample collection without contamination from water column microorganisms.     

Effect of Pollutants on the Physical and Engineering Behavior of Lime-Treated Marine Clay

Rapid industrial growth and increasing population has resulted in the discharge of wastes into the ocean, wastes which ultimately reach the seabed and contaminate the marine sediments. The soil-contaminants interaction, and their associated physico chemical properties with sediments control the behavior of marine clays. Marine clay deposits of low strength and high compressibility are located in many coastal and offshore areas. There are several foundation problems encountered in these weak marine clays. In this study, experimental work was carried out in the laboratory to stabilize soft marine clays using the lime column technique. Also the lime-induced effects on the physical and engineering behavior of marine clays in sulfate-contaminated marine environment was investigated. Consolidation tests indicate that compressibility of the lime-treated samples was reduced to 1/2-1/3 of the virgin soil after 45 days treatment. The test results also suggest that the lime column technique can be conveniently used to improve the behavior of contaminated marine clay deposits.     

长江口水动力及污水稀释扩散模拟

利用Delft3D数学模型对长江口水动力条件、上海市现有及拟建排放口污水排放的稀释扩散场进行了模拟。模型利用潮汐数据和排放口附近的现场实测数据进行了率定和验证，分别对丰水期、枯水期的大、小潮情况下的流速场、潮位场及污水扩散场进行了研究。结果表明：长江口的水动力条件有利于污水的稀释扩散；现状排放量对长江口水环境影响不大；但如果污水在排放前不进行一定的处理，规划排放量排人长江口将会严重恶化其水质，特别是枯水期小潮时最为严重。建议根据长江口和杭州湾的环境容量，结合排放口的稀释扩散能力，合理确定污水排放方案。     

Feeding of benthic foraminifera on diatoms and sewage-derived organic matter: an experimental application of lipid biomarker techniques

Foraminiferal ecology at sewage outfalls has been investigated in numerous field studies over the last 30 years. Foraminifera have been frequently used as biomonitors of sewage pollution since they are both abundant and ubiquitous. Sewage outfalls have been demonstrated to have both positive and negative effects on adjacent foraminiferal populations, but it has never been shown conclusively why sewage affects foraminifera in these ways. Such information on the impact mechanisms of sewage pollution is essential if foraminifera are to be used as sewage pollution biomonitors, and also to understand the ecology of these important protists. One possible cause of a positive effect is the direct consumption of sewage-derived particulate organic matter (POM) by the foraminifera themselves. However this hypothesis has never been tested experimentally. Here, lipid (fatty acid and sterol) biomarker techniques were applied to study the ingestion of two potential food items by the foraminiferan Haynesina germanica in the laboratory. An experiment was conducted to confirm that the laboratory conditions were conducive to the survival and feeding of the foraminifera. In this experiment, foraminifera were provided with the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which was considered to be a suitable food source. After 2 weeks, a four-fold increase in the levels of the diatom fatty acid biomarker, 20:5(n-3), in the foraminifera suggested that they had fed actively on the diatoms and survived under the experimental conditions. These experimental conditions were used in the main experiment, where foraminifera were fed the POM from sewage. Lipid biomarker analysis indicated that H. germanica did not consume secondary treated sewage-derived POM. Neither fatty acid profiles in the sewage nor coprostanol, the diagnostic human faecal sterol, were detected in foraminifera after exposure to the potential sewage food source. However, foraminifera may have consumed bacteria associated with the sewage in the experiment. The findings are discussed in terms of current EU legislation on sewage treatment that has affected the composition of sewage discharges, and therefore possibly reduced the nutritive value of sewage to the marine benthos.     

污水排放影响下平潭近岸海水COD和DIN浓度场的数值模拟

利用Delft3D数学模型建立了平潭综合实验区近岸海域物质输运数学模型,模拟了澳前、海坛海峡北、海坛海峡南、流水、竹屿5个排污口在不同污水排放量下COD、无机氮浓度的分布．结果表明：在污水排放规模为3．0×10^4t／d时,竹屿排污口邻近海域海水COD、无机氮质量浓度分别为3．80、0．51mg／dm3,流水排污口邻近海域海水COD、无机氮质量浓度分别为3．60、0．42mg／dm3,都超过二类海水水质标准值,表明这2个海域水动力条件较弱、污染物扩散缓慢,不是理想的排污口．在污水排放量为1．5×10^5t／d时,海坛海峡北排污口邻近海域海水COD、无机氮质量浓度分别为1．87、0．28mg／dm3,海坛海峡南排污口邻近海域海水COD、无机氮质量浓度分别为1．84、0．27mg／dm3;澳前排污口在污水排放量为5．0×10^5t／d时,其邻近海域海水COD、无机氮质量浓度分别为2．48、0．28mg／dm3,均符合二类海水水质要求,表明上述海域水动力条件良好、纳污能力强、环境容量大,是较好的污水排放口．该研究可为平潭综合实验区海域污水排放口选址优化提供科学依据,为该海域入海污染物总量控制和海洋环境管理提供参考．     

Effect of Pollutants on the Physical and Engineering Behavior of Lime-Treated Marine Clay

Abstract

Rapid industrial growth and increasing population has resulted in the discharge of wastes into the ocean, wastes which ultimately reach the seabed and contaminate the marine sediments. The soil-contaminants interaction, and their associated physico chemical properties with sediments control the behavior of marine clays. Marine clay deposits of low strength and high compressibility are located in many coastal and offshore areas. There are several foundation problems encountered in these weak marine clays. In this study, experimental work was carried out in the laboratory to stabilize soft marine clays using the lime column technique. Also the lime-induced effects on the physical and engineering behavior of marine clays in sulfate-contaminated marine environment was investigated. Consolidation tests indicate that compressibility of the lime-treated samples was reduced to 1/2–1/3 of the virgin soil after 45 days treatment. The test results also suggest that the lime column technique can be conveniently used to improve the behavior of contaminated marine clay deposits.     

广东省入海排污口分类分布特征及监督管理措施研究

本研究在广东省现有入海排污口清单的基础上,将入海排污口划分为4类,研究分析了入海排污口的数量、类型和分布情况。研究表明,广东省共有入海排污口1436个,东西两翼数量多于珠三角,区域和地市差异明显。结合广东省近岸海域环境质量状况和排污口分布特征,针对性提出了推进入海排污口规范化设置与备案、分类推进各类排污口污染治理,提升入海排污口监管能力建设等监管措施,为分类实施污染防治措施、强化重点入海排污口监督管理奠定基础。     

波浪引起的海床失稳机理及有关孔隙水压力的讨论

近年来在海洋工程中由于海床失稳和下沉而引起的工程事故时有发生,因此波浪、海床和建筑物的相互作用问题越来越引起工程界的关注。文章首先介绍了波浪引起的海床失稳的基本机理,同时,由于孔隙水压力在海床失稳中起着重要作用,因此又通过引用前人成果,讨论了波土参数对孔隙水压力的影响。     

烟台市污水处理深海排放工程设计方案研究与选择

沿海城市污水处理深海排放工程在我国起步较晚，烟台市污水处理深海排放工程我国目前规模最大的同类工程，且已进入施工阶段，本文详细阐述了该工程及水工设计方案，在我国城市污水２深海排放工程领域作了积极有益的探索。     

Heavy metal pollution in Wellington Harbour

Heavy metal analysis of the < 20 μm fraction of marine sediments from Wellington Harbour and Waiwhetu Stream have shown that the Waiwhetu Stream is easily the most polluted area in the Wellington Harbour system with Pb and Zn in the extremely polluted category and Cu, Cd, and Hg in the moderately to strongly polluted category. These elements have different distributions in the stream sediments reflecting their different sources from adjacent factories. In Wellington Harbour itself, the central basin of the harbour suffers from minimal pollution. Pb, and to a lesser extent Zn and Cu, are the main pollutants and local enrichment of these elements is noted in Lambton Harbour basin, off Pencarrow and Moa Point outfalls, in Evans Bay, and off Petone and Kaiwharawhara. The geochemical data do not enable us to identify the source of the pollutants unambiguously. A summary of the history of waste discharges into the harbour suggests that heavy metal pollution may have been higher in the past.     

The mobilisation of sediment and benthic infauna by scallop dredges

We present the results of experiments to assess the immediate impact of scallop dredging on the seabed sediment and on the inhabiting infauna. The passage of the scallop dredge is shown to homogenise the seabed, flattening sand ripples. The turbulent wake entrains up to the equivalent of a 1 mm layer of sediment per unit of swept width, although an analysis of the finer particles material implies that the suspended silt material must originate from depths of at least 10 mm.The species most abundant in the sediment plume either swim actively in the water column or are found in, or on, the upper layers of the substrate, whereas those most abundant in core samples taken from the sediment, but not present in the net samples, are almost all tube-building or deep burrowing.The vertical stratification of sediment concentration and of animal numbers in the water column suggests that even if some of these species respond actively to the presence of the dredge, once entrained, they are transported more or less passively in the same way as the larger sediment particles.There was no difference between the core samples taken before or after towing suggesting that animals mobilised by the dredge resettle in the tow path. Our analysis does not provide any information regarding the fate of these animals.     

Anthropogenic inputs of several heavy metals to nearshore basins off Los Angeles

Budgets of anthropogenically-derived Cr, Zn and Pb in the Santa Monica-San Pedro Basin and the Palos Verdes Shelf are estimated from profiles of these metals in a large number of sediment cores. Comparisons of inventories in the deep basin with combined emissions from the responsible sewage outfalls indicate that no more than 7% of the Cr, 2% of the Zn and 5% of the Pb derived from the sewage source are buried in the nearshore basin. A similar comparison of metal accumulation on the Palos Verdes Shelf with discharges from the nearby JWPCP outfall indicates that 12% of the Zn and 20% of the Cr and Pb are deposited locally. The annual percentages of sewage-derived Pb retained should be significantly lower, because surface runoff and atmospheric fallout are also important input pathways for anthropogenic Pb. Offshore variations in sediment metal composition suggest that Cr is most strongly attached to sewage particles while Zn and Pb are more labile. We conclude that the majority of anthropogenic metals are exported offshore beyond the inner basin.     

疏浚物倾抛对海洋环境影响的研究述评

从当前国内外对疏浚物倾倒海洋后所产生的环境影响研究现状出发,就研究历史产生影响的生物、物理、化学过程,现场监测技术,疏浚物处理新技术的应用等方面的研究作了全面评述,这对港口、航道部门的疏浚土处理和防止海洋污染具有参考应用价值。     

Information reliability in marine waste disposal studies

Prediction of the performance of systems designed to discharge municipal and industrial wastes into the marine environment, and of the effects of these discharges on the environment, requires an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the system. Such an understanding can be achieved only by extensive measurement of a variety of parameters of both the marine system and of the waste materials to be discharged. Techniques for the measurement of waste characteristics are well developed. In this area, the primary problem is quantification of the variability of the waste characteristics. This problem is not so much one of instrumentation as of achieving statistical reliability, applicability, and interpretability. This is due, in part, to the variety of instruments and measurement techniques available in nearshore oceanographic work, and in part, due to the complexities of the dynamic processes in the marine environment. This paper examines and discusses a number of these and related problems. The subjects discussed will include: the types of data needed for marine outfall design, types and extent of data required for determination of environmental effects, suitability of various types of instrumentation, techniques for maximizing the reliability of data acquisition, needs for new types of instrumentation, and the interpretation of data. The paper also discusses the tradeoffs which must be made between the needs and desire for information and the costs of acquiring it.     

The effects of sewage discharge on water quality and phytoplankton of Hawai'ian coastal waters

The effects of sewage discharge on algal populations and the quality of Hawai'ian coastal waters were investigated. Two outfalls were studied. One discharges primary treated sewage and the other discharges secondary treated sewage but are otherwise similar. This enabled comparisons of the effects of these different levels of treatment on the water quality and algal productivity of receiving waters. Plumes were followed and repeatedly sampled in a time-series manner. Rhodamine dye was used as a conservative tracer to compare the dilution behavior of the plume constituents MRP, NO(3)+NO(2), NH(4), Silicate, TDP, TDN, total bacteria, PC, and PN. Rates of initial dilution ranged from two to almost three orders of magnitude, and were in reasonable agreement with engineering model predictions. Dilution of plume constituents approximated that of Rhodamine until background concentrations were reached, typically within 10 min of discharge. Chl a concentrations did not increase through time in the primary sewage plume but did increase up to 30% in the secondary sewage plume. However, rates of far-field dilution were so rapid that the increase could not have been due to algal growth. The increase was attributed to the plume mixing with a water mass whose relative chl a concentrations were greater. Rates of secondary dilution ranged from 2 to 3 orders of magnitude resulting in total dilutions of 10(5)-10(6) within 3 h of discharge. These rates of secondary dilution were much greater than model predictions. From a nutrient standpoint, secondary treatment exhibited no advantages over primary treatment because dilutions were so rapid.     

Geotechnical properties of deep oceanic sediments recovered from the hydrate occurrence regions in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, offshore Korea

This study presents comprehensive geotechnical data of the natural marine sediments cored from the hydrate occurrence regions during the Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Expedition 1 (UBGH1), East Sea, offshore Korea in 2007. Geotechnical soil index properties of the Ulleung Basin sediments, including grain size distribution, porosity, water content, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, and specific surface area, were experimentally determined. These soil index properties were correlated to geotechnical engineering parameters (e.g., shear strength and friction angle) by using well-known empirical relationships. By performing standard consolidation tests on both undisturbed specimens (as recovered from the original core liner after hydrate dissociation) and remolded specimens, stress-dependent mechanical and hydraulic properties (e.g., compressibility and hydraulic conductivity) were measured. The experimental results provide important engineering parameters, and demonstrate the effect of hydrate presence and consequential dissociation to index properties, engineering parameters, and innate sediment structures.     

Material supply to the abyssal seafloor in the Northeast Atlantic

Downward particle flux was measured using sediment traps at various depths over the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (water depth 4850 m) for prolonged periods from 1989 to 1999. A strong seasonal pattern of flux was evident reaching a maximum in mid-summer. The composition of the material changed with depth, reflecting the processes of remineralisation and dissolution as the material sank through the water column. However, there was surprisingly little seasonal variation in its composition to reflect changes in the biology of the euphotic zone.Currents at the site have a strong tidal component with speeds almost always less than 15 cm/sec. In the deeper part of the water column they tend to be northerly in direction, when averaged over periods of several months.A model of upper ocean biogeochemistry forced by meteorology was run for the decade in order to provide an estimate of flux at 3000 m depth. Agreement with measured organic carbon flux is good, both in terms of the timings of the annual peaks and in the integrated annual flux. Interannual variations in the integrated flux are of similar magnitude for both the model output and sediment trap measurements, but there is no significant relationship between these two sets of estimates. No long-term trend in flux is evident, either from the model, or from the measurements.During two spring/summer periods, the marine snow concentration in the water column was assessed by time-lapse photography and showed a strong peak at the start of the downward pulse of material at 3000 m. This emphasises the importance of large particles during periods of maximum flux and at the start of flux peaks. Time lapse photographs of the seabed show a seasonal cycle of coverage of phytodetrital material, in agreement with the model output both in terms of timing and magnitude of coverage prior to 1996. However, after a change in the structure of the benthic community in 1996 no phytodetritus was evident on the seabed.The model output shows only a single peak in flux each year, whereas the measured data usually indicated a double peak. It is concluded that the observed double peak may be a reflection of lowered sediment trap efficiency when flux is very high and is dominated by large marine snow particles.Resuspension into the trap 100 m above the seabed, when compared to the primary flux at 3000 m depth (1800 mab) was lower during periods of high primary flux probably because of a reduction in the height of resuspension when the material is fresh. At 2 mab, the picture is more complex with resuspension being enhanced during the periods of higher flux in 1997, which is consistent with this hypothesis. However there was rather little relationship to flux at 3000 m in 1998.At 3000 m depth, the Flux Stability Index (FSI), which provides a measure of the constancy of the seasonal cycle of flux, exhibited an inverse relationship with flux, such that the highest flux of organic carbon was recorded during the year with the greatest seasonal variation.     

Deep-ocean piezometer probe technology for geotechnical investigations

Two single-sensor piezometer probes, 8 mm in diameter, were developed for deep-ocean geotechnical investigations. These probes were tested in a hyperbaric chamber pressurized to 55 MPa (8000 psi). Testing was performed for a period of five weeks under high hydrostatic pressure with the probes inserted in reconstituted illitic marine sediment. Small differential pore-water pressures were generated in response to both mechanically and thermally generated forcing functions. During deep-ocean simulated pressure tests, the sensors exhibited excellent sensitivity and stability. These developments in piezometer-probe technology provide a quantitative means of assessing important geotechnical parameters of fine-grained seabed deposits.