Long term effects of activated carbon on benthic communities

2021

Master's thesis in Coastal ecology (BIO501) Thin-layer capping with activated carbon (AC) has a potential as situ remediation method for sediments exposed to hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). This treatment was applied at two test fields; one in the Eidangerfjord (95 m) and the other in the Ormerfjord (30 m) in 2009. These two fjords are a part of the Grenland fjord system which have a long history of contaminated sediments. In this study we will address long-term effects of thin-layer capping with AC on the benthic community nine years later. Number of individuals, species and biomass was significantly reduced in both test fields compared to their corresponding reference fields. The di…