Magnetic characteristics of sediment grains concurrently contaminated with TBT and metals near a shipyard in Busan, Korea.
Bottom sediments near shipyards are often susceptible to receiving accidental spills of TBT and metals or their degradation products from hull scraping of antifouling system paints applied prior to 2008, when the AFS Convention 2001 was not in force. We investigated TBT and metal contamination of sediments near the shipyards of a small marina located in Busan, Korea and found that they were highly contaminated with TBT, Cu, and Zn. To better understand the environmental impacts and to make an optimal remediation plan, we characterized individual antifouling fragments in terms of metal and TBT contents, magnetic properties, and grain-size. Coarse-sized individual antifouling fragments exhibited simultaneously high levels of TBT, metals and high magnetic susceptibility, and appeared to be a major source of pollution in the sediment. Therefore, magnetic separation in combination with size-separation appears to be a cost-effective remediation method to remove the TBT and metals from contaminated shipyard sediments.
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 787 Hean-ro, Ansan 426-744, South Korea. Electronic address: jychoi77@hanyang.ac.kr.
Jin Young
JY
Choi
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 787 Hean-ro, Ansan 426-744, South Korea. Electronic address: ghhong@kiost.ac.
Gi Hoon
GH
Hong
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 787 Hean-ro, Ansan 426-744, South Korea. Electronic address: ktra@kiost.ac.
Kongtae
K
Ra
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 787 Hean-ro, Ansan 426-744, South Korea. Electronic address: ktkim@kiost.ac.
Kyung-Tae
KT
Kim
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 787 Hean-ro, Ansan 426-744, South Korea. Electronic address: kyoungrean@kiost.ac.
Kyoungrean
K
Kim
D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008280:Magnetics; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D010150:Paint; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012767:Ships; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D008670:Metals; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011559:tributyltin; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc
Antifouling paint fragments; Magnetic susceptibility; Metals; Sediment remediation; Shipyards; Tributyltin (TBT)