Reactive sorbents for immobilization of phosphorus released from Baltic Sea sediments

As part of the Living Coast project, BalticSea2020 plans to bind phosphorus in Björnöfjärden, an inlet on the island of Ingarö east of Stockholm, by mixing aluminium chloride into the bottom sediment. Aluminium chloride is good at binding phosphorus and is also used to treat drinking water, but is relatively expensive and so alternatives need to be developed for more large-scale use.

To find alternatives, professor Gunno Renman from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm will be examining whether reactive filter media, or sorbents, can be used as a new method for long-term fixing of phosphorus in the bottom sediment of the Baltic Sea. These filter media might be by-products from the steel and concrete industries, or novel products derived from calcareous rocks. The research has concentrated mostly on developing various steel slags and materials from the lightweight concrete industry, as well as some brand-new products. These media have shown considerable reactivity in binding phosphorus, and one of the materials developed has been commercialised in recent years for use in off-mains wastewater systems (Polonite®).

Aim

The aim is to examine the properties of the chosen filter media and determine whether they can bind phosphorus in the bottom sediment of the Baltic in the long term and limit the release of phosphorus into the water. The idea is to create a durable barrier between sediment and water which can filter out large amounts of phosphorus.

Method

Initial laboratory experiments will test a number of materials with a high phosphorus-binding capacity that are considered suitable for application on the seabed. To determine the media’s phosphorus-binding capacity, batch and other tests will be conducted on sediments from both oxygenated and hypoxic sites. The life of the media will also be explored to see how long it takes for their phosphorus-binding capacity to be exhausted or deteriorate.
The project will run for a period of one year (2012-13).

renman

Project status

Start: 2012-04-01
End: 2013-03-31


Project manager

Gunno Renman, The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm

Project material

2014-01-16 - Final report (in Swedish)
Reactive sorbents for immobilization of phosphorus released from Baltic Sea sediments
2012-08-24 - Press release
BalticSea2020 is funding two new projects to reduce eutrophication in the coastal bays of the Baltic Sea

 

CONTACT AT BALTICSEA2020

Emil Rydin
er@balticsea2020.org

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These filter media might be by-products from the steel and concrete industries, or novel products derived from calcareous rocks. The research has concentrated mostly on developing various steel slags and materials from the lightweight concrete industry, as well as some brand-new products. These media have shown considerable reactivity in binding phosphorus, and one of the materials developed has been commercialised in recent years for use in off-mains wastewater systems (Polonite®).

Aim
The aim is to examine the properties of the chosen filter media and determine whether they can bind phosphorus in the bottom sediment of the Baltic in the long term and limit the release of phosphorus into the water. The idea is to create a durable barrier between sediment and water which can filter out large amounts of phosphorus.

Method
Initial laboratory experiments will test a number of materials with a high phosphorus-binding capacity that are considered suitable for application on the seabed. To determine the media’s phosphorus-binding capacity, batch and other tests will be conducted on sediments from both oxygenated and hypoxic sites. The life of the media will also be explored to see how long it takes for their phosphorus-binding capacity to be exhausted or deteriorate.

The project will run for a period of one year (2012-13).