New sediment technology for Norway

These have been developed at the Biologge Field in Sandefjord Harbour in Norway, near Biologge’s headquarters.

The BioBlok Gate products were produced by Biologge in mid-December, with the assistance of AquaBlok. They were installed at the Biologge Field, known to contain a variety of organic contaminants, including PCBs, tributyltin (TBT) and PAHs, in January 2011. Biologge will undertake monitoring of results and comparison to baseline data collected during 2010.

The line of products produced, known as BioBlok Gate products, utilizes the AquaBlok patented composite particle system to coat aggregate materials with activated carbon together with additional fillers as needed. The PAC material is utilized rather than traditional granular activated carbon primarily due to its higher rate of adsorption of contaminants that may pass through the capping or treatment layer.

The activated carbon bearing composite particles can range in particle size from sand sized granules up to much larger aggregates. The composite particles perform two critical functions. First, the aggregate core weight enables placement of the inherently hard to place activated carbon from the surface of the water to the contaminated sediment surface.

Second, the coating of activated carbon on the aggregate core provides uniform distribution of a relatively low concentration of activated carbon throughout the placed mass of product particles. This enables greater control in spatially uniform placement of high value reactive materials throughout a target thickness of thin layer, isolation caps or treatment layers and provides greater contact time. AquaBlok and Biologge signed an agreement in 2007 to cooperate on products and product development for management and treatment of contaminated sediments. Norway has a national plan, Clean and Rich Oceans, that encompasses cleaning up the sea bottom that has been receiving contamination over a period of 100 years or more.

By David Foxwell