PCB fluxes from the sediment to the water column following resuspension – A column experiment

Abstract : Many French rivers and lakes sediments are contaminated by PCBi at levels ranging from 50 to 150 µg/kg. Currently, French regulators are asking for adequate solutions to manage the billions of cubic meters of contaminated sediments and to improve the understanding of the behavior of PCB in the aquatic ecosystem. Stainless steel columns of 2 m high and of a section of 0.2 m, have been specially designed to study PCB behavior during sediment resuspension, settling and compression. They enable the monitoring of the water column, of the interstitial water of the sediment and of gas produced in the course of the experiment.