Treatment of Dredged Material from Waterways and Port Basins in Poland on the Basis of Szczecin-Świnoujście Harbour Complex

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1 Protasowicki, Mikołaj, Prof. Dr. habil. (Department of Toxicology, Agricultural University of Szczecin, Poland) Niedźwiecki, Edward, Prof. Dr. habil. (Department of Soil Sciences, Agricultural University of Szczecin, Poland) Treatment of Dredged Material from Waterways and Port Basins in Poland on the Basis of Szczecin-Świnoujście Harbour Complex 1 Introduction On Polish part of the Baltic coast, whose length measures ca. 500 km, there are four major ports: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście and eight small ports including Darłowo, Elbląg, Hel, Kołobrzeg, Łeba, Police, Władysławowo and Ustka. In addition, in 47 small seaside resorts there are harbors to allow small vessels to enter. Within the mouth of the Odra, where Szczecin-Świnoujście port complex is located, there are also small harbors in Police, TrzebieŜ, Stepnica, Wolin, Nowe Warpno, Karsibór, Kamień Pomorski and Dziwnów. The ships of 270m in length and the draught up to 12.8m are allowed to enter Świnoujście. When the conditions defined by the Director of Maritime Office in Szczecin have been complied with, the draught may be by 0.5m greater and after partial unloading, due to a smaller depth of navigation channel minimum 10.5m, ships may sail farther to Szczecin. In order to maintain appropriate depth of waterways, canals and port basins constant monitoring and deepening works are required. Apart from the problems connected with maintaining appropriate parameters of the entrance channel into Świnoujście it should be taken into account that the greatest expenditure is required for the maintenance of the navigation channel Świnoujście-Szczecin, mainly due to a considerable 68.8km, length of this waterway. The obtained dredged material is utilized or deposited. This problem has existed for ages. 2 Historical outline. Utilization of dredged material As for as the waterway Świnoujście-Szczecin and Odra are concerned the sediment problem is nothing new. It dates back to the middle of XVIII century the times of the Prussian King Frederic Wilhelm seeking to find a 1

2 shorter way to Szczecin via Świna and not exclusively by the Piana strait, which due to its natural depth, was in those times the most convenient waterway. Thus, the present navigation channel Swinoujście-Szczecin with Kanał Piastowski and Mileński and the Odra control works, especially in its lower part with a canal between Widuchowa-Gryfino have been the result of many generations work, continued for over 200 years ( ). The dredged material was used for many purposes such as: uplifting the swampy area near Kanał Piastowski, formation of 8-hectare island Chełminek (Jasny Chełm, Wyspa Nawigacyjna) on the former Świetowit shoal, today covered with over a hundred year-old timber forest. This material was also used for earth banks (protective dikes) along Zalew Szczeciński and the Odra to 1.60m and along more populated area to 1.80m. Apart from this, according to Borowiec and Kwarta (1959) the dredge material was used for filling land lowering and old-river beds covering quite considerable areas along the eastern Odra bed (from Marwice to Podjuchy), the width of that belt was from m. Osiecimski (1966) states that the dredged material was dumped to adjacent lowland, which increased the value of coastal arable land. A special method of fertile silt application to poor soil was developed. Silt containing harmful quantities of sulphur compounds was neutralized with proper dose of milk of lime. This author mentions also covering the area within the Odra estuary, near small localities (Police, Stepnica and others) with sand to create beaches. Evaluating the study results concerning organic matter and macroelement resources of bottom sediments Pondel (1959) and Piszczek et al. (1965) recommended using them for the melioration of coastal sandy soils, swamps and barren land. However, the most complete information about the use of bottom sediments for the fertilization of soils around Zalew Szczeciński, based on detailed German documents (Deutsche Grundkarte Gauserin, Sandhof), Stepnitz, 1:5000, Berlin 1940 and Akta Wasserbandirektion now at the Museum of Western Pomerania in Szczecin) is given by Piszczek et al. (1961). These authors emphasize that the works on the utilization of multi million cubic meters of silt dredged from the bottom of Zalew Szczeciński to fertilize peat or muck or sandy soils were conducted in Szczecin region since In those times it was a common practice near water regions and corresponded to methods of soil improvement by sand application e.g. Rimpauschen Sanddeckkultur or peat stratification by deep ploughing. Deutsche Sandmischkultur. Piszczek et al., (1961) on the basis of Gąsierzyno Piaski located along the shore of Za- 2

3 toka Stepnicka towards the north western part of Zalew Szczeciński state, that as a results of sand application on the meadow object Gąsierzyno Piaski the soils suitable for crop cultivation and characterized by good yielding were formed. Thus, this practice not only improved agricultural value of the soil but also widened their use. Nutrient resources of these soils were much higher in comparison with other peat, muck or sandy soils. As a result of this practice according to Piszczek et al., (1961) these meadows can be mowed twice or three times and the hay yield amounts to 80 q ha -1 and has better plant composition. The above mentioned authors state that using sand on the area under study before World War II produced arable soils of very good quality, III valuation class mostly, instead of barren land (former peatland, shoals) and swampland. These soils gave the yields: over 20 q ha -1 rye, ca 250 q ha -1 potato, to 20 q ha -1 wheat and over 350 q ha -1 fodder beat, which were by 50-60% higher in comparison with the yields from adjacent fields, not covered with bottom sediments. The cited literature and the data presented there, show that dumping bottom sediments within the valley of the lower Odra and the areas adjacent to Zalew Szczeciński was quite common. The authors of this report had the opportunity of making similar observations conducting the studies within Wyspa Pucka in Szczecin (Niedźwiecki et al., 1993) and Międzyodrze (Niedźwiecki et al., 2004) where the sediments dumping sites can be seen. The main aim of the dredged material application has always been the improvement of soil fertility and yield increase. In the light of presented data, in the past the dredged material was never a useless waste but a valuable material used mainly for soil reclamation and building protective flood embankments. This role, in the case of the areas of the Lower Odra Valley and adjoining Zalew Szczeciński has been performed since the beginning of XIX century. After World War II the dredged material obtained as a result of deepening the waterway Świnoujście-Szczecin, entrance channels to small ports and channels and port basins of Szczecin and other harbors of that area, was dumped at properly situated and maintained coastal areas called dumping grounds. It should be noted that dumping grounds were and in many cases have been a constant element of waterway landscape in many European ports e.g. Hamburg, Bremen, Antwerp and Rotterdam. In the region of the navigation channel Świnoujście-Sczecin there are 11 dumping grounds. Their distribution and characterization are presented in the works of Sagalski and Stolarz (1986) and Niedźwiecki and Tran Van Chin (1991). 3

4 Generally, dumping grounds are located on coastal, hardly accessible swampy areas, frequently flooded, filled with lowmoor peat with numerous silts. Agricultural suitability of these areas was practically none, therefore there was the need for improvement. It is worth mentioning that the years were the period of intensive melioration utilization and transformation of swampy areas, including dumping the bottom sediments from deepening waterways. In those times their contamination was not taken into account. 3 The present situation. Evaluation of dredged material contamination At present, it is estimated that for proper functioning of the ports situated in the Odra estuary ca m 3 of dredged material are obtained annually as a result of waterway deepening. This material is dumped at the sites located near the waterway and ports or discharged into the sea in designated places near the shore. Certain amount of that material is used for the improvement of port areas and beach reconstruction. It should be noted that the sediments discharged into the sea cannot be more contaminated than those at the bottom of the site where they will be discharged. The material designated for the area utilization and beach reconstruction consists exclusively of uncontaminated sandy sediments. The degree of contamination of bottom sediments in the Odra estuary is connected with the degree of water contamination. The Odra is one of the largest rivers flowing into the Baltic sea, its drainage basin covers the area of km 2 and since it is a border river, contains the pollutants not only from Poland but also from the Czech Republic and Germany. The main source of those pollutants are municipal sewage and industrial effluents from 20 big cites of Poland and Germany. In view of the fact that there are many agricultural areas the discharge of surface and ground water bring in considerable amounts of organic matter, harmful and toxic substances (Meyer et al., 2002). All these substances flow down the river to its mouth (Protasowicki et al., 1998, 1999). The bottom sediments of the Odra estuary are of great diversity. In certain regions there are typical muddy sediments rich in organic matter, whose content is 15-20% of dry matter and above whereas in other places sandy or sandy-muddy deposits are observed with a small amount of organic matter to 5% (Protasowicki et al. 1993, 1994; Pro- 4

5 tasowicki and Niedźwiecki 1993). Beginning with the second half of the 1980 s in Szczecin Agricultural University many studies on the sediments taken from the bottom of the river, canals and port basins, or dumping grounds or those used for building dikes, protective flood embankments or wet area utilization, have been conducted. Apart from general studies, analyses most frequently included the determination of As, Cr, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni. Pb, Hg, K, P, Mg, Ca and Na contents. Sediment contamination was also analysed by means of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Analyses were mainly made using absorption and emission atomic spectrometry (CV AAS, GF AAS, ICP AES, FAAS) and gas chromatography (GC, GC MS). In June and July 2000 very detailed studies of the sediments dumped on the site in Mańków, the largest (141 ha) dredged material dumping ground in the vicinity of the navigation channel Świnoujście-Szczecin were conducted. Drilling showed that the material is 4.86 m in average thick and consists of loose and slightly loam sands with organic mud and silt admixture on organic silt and lowmoor peat. In order to estimate the amount of the particular sediments the following division was made: 1. Mineral sediments (sandy) with 0-5% organic matter content obtained by determining loss at burning. 2. Mineral sediments (sandy) containing 5-10% of organic matter of the dumping grounds and in the sand with silt admixture below. 3. Organic-mineral sediments with 10-20% of organic matter in the dumping ground and the silts lying below 4. Organic sediments with over 20% organic matter content with the isolation of the natural material in the form of peat. Our calculations showed that mineral sediments constitute 83.2% mineral sediments with elevated organic matter content 8.8%, organicmineral 6.9% and organic sediments 1.1% of total volume of dredged material on the examined dumping ground. This information is of great importance if we take into consideration the fact that it had been found out previously, that muddy sediments, rich in organic matter, with a considerable sorption capacity, contain great amounts of heavy metals (Protasowicki and Niedźwiecki 1991, 1994, 1997; Protasowicki et al., 1993, 1994, 1997). However, in comparison with the sediments from the mouth of other European rivers the sediment contamination of the Szczecin-Świnoujście navigation channel is clearly smaller (Protasowicki and Niedźwiecki 1993). Moreover, these sediments 5

6 contain considerable quantities of biogenic macroelements, which are favorable to plant development. On the basis of the analysis of bottom sediments cores from the mouth of the Odra region it was found that heavy metal contamination is of anthropogenic character and is increasing towards younger surface layers (Protasowicki et al., 1993). It was also observed that with the distance from Szczecin towards Świnoujście the content of the discussed pollutants is decreasing (Protasowicki and Niedźwiecki 1993), which indicates the efficiency of selfpurification in Roztoka Odrzańska and Zalew Szczeciński. 4 Polish legal regulations and evaluation of sediments obtained during deepening waterways of the Odra estuary For many years Polish regulations have required from the firms conducting dredging works the analysis of the dredged material contamination and the threat it poses to the environment. However, there were no definite requirements as to the kind of substances, which should be determined in the dredged material obtained as a result of deepening navigation channels and ports. Therefore, the most frequently determined toxic substances were heavy metals and chloroorganic compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls and selected pesticides, which were still used in agriculture in the early seventies. Estimating the degree of sediment contamination only the effects of the examined substances on plants were taken into consideration. In the year 2002 the Ministry of Environment issued an enactment in which limit values were determined for uncontaminated sediments. These regulations became operative on 1 January 2003 (Dz. U. 2002). According to them the following substances contents should be determined in sediments: 1. eight heavy metals (As, Cr, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Hg). 2. seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [benzo(a)anthracene - BaA, benzo(b)fluoranthene - BbF, benzo(k)fluoranthene - BkF, benzo(g,h,i)-perylene - BPer, benzo(a)pyrene - BaP, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene - DahA, indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene - IndP]. 3. the sum of seven congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB - 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180) 6

7 Prior to PAH s and PCB s determination it is required to sieve the sediment using the sieve with 2mm eyes. Before heavy metal determination sieved material should be crushed in an agate mortar to the 0.063mm (63µm) and below grain. This enactment also defines the number of collected samples depending on the predicted sediment volume to be dredged. Sediments (dredged material) are considered as uncontaminated if the amounts of particular substances expressed in dry matter do not exceed limits given in Table 1. Exceeding any of the mentioned in the enactment limits makes the dredged material contaminated and requires it to be treated as a harmful waste. The analysis of our study results show that the limit values for one or a few substances listed in the regulations in force of the Ministry of Environment were exceeded in ca. 17% of the examined sediment samples (Table 2). The differences were not too high; the maximum value was ca. 8 times higher than the limit values (arsenic). As it had been proved before, the highest concentrations were usually found in muddy bottom sediments with a high content of organic matter, characterized by a great sorption capacity. It is know, that such sediments are rich in elements essential to the proper plant development. It is common knowledge, that there is a negative relationship between heavy metal mobility and their intake by plants, and organic matter content. In land plants the bioconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls does not occur. Therefore, the authors have expressed the opinion that the sediments rich in nutrients may by used in the same way as sewage sludge for the soil improvement for the cultivation of plants not used for human or animal consumption and also for the reclamation of waste dumping sites. It is justified since in all cases the material under study would comply with the requirements defined in the regulations concerning the limit values of heavy metals in the sewage sludge used for the above mentioned purposes. The dumped contaminated sediments should be placed at a separate area to prevent them from their discharge into waters. Table 1: Limit contents of heavy metals and organic substances (PAH and PCB) in uncontaminated dredged material according to Polish regulations. Limit content Organic substance µg kg -1 dw Limit content Metal mg kg -1 dw As 30,0 BaA 1500 Hg 1,000 BbF 1500 Cd 7,50 BkF

8 Pb 200 BaP 1000 Cr 200 IndP 1000 Zn 1000 DahA 1000 Cu 150 BPer 1000 Σ PCB Ni 75 (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180) 300 Table 2: Heavy metals [mg kg -1 dw], PAH s and PCB s content [µg kg -1 dw] in sediments and percentages of samples in which concentration exceeded permissible limit values (according to our studies) Substance Number of samples Min -Max Mean ±standard deviation Percentage of samples exceeding limit content, % As ± Hg ± Cd ± Pb ± Cr ± Zn ± Cu ± Ni ±22 1,43 BaA ± BbF ± BkF ± BaP ± IndP ± DahA ± BPer ± Σ PCB (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, ±

9 153, 180) In the light of Polish regulations in force (Dz. U. 2002) it should be stated that a major part of sediments (ca. 83%) may be classified as uncontaminated material whereas a minor part (17%) as contaminated with arsenic, mercury, cadmium, zinc as main pollutants exceeding the limit and to a smaller degree: lead, cooper, nickel, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)-pyrene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene. The remaining substances (chromium, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(k)flouranthene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and PCB s) were within the limit. Muddy sediments with elevated contamination level are mainly found in port wet docks where the water exchange is not great. References 1. Borowiec S., Kwarta Cz., 1959: Gleby i roślinność zielonych uŝytków Doliny dolnej Odry. Zeszyty Naukowe WyŜszej Szkoły Rolniczej w Szczecinie, nr 2, str [in Polish] 2. Dziennik Ustaw, 2002: Rozporządzenie Ministra Środowiska z dnia 16 kwietnia 2002r. w sprawie rodzajów oraz stęŝeń substancji, które powodują, Ŝe urobek jest zanieczyszczony. Nr 55, poz [in Polish] 3. Meyer A-K., E. Adamiec, B. Andreas, J. Biernat, J. Błachuta, H. Damke, A. Dubicki, W. Francke, S. Franke, A. Greif, E. Helios Rybicka, K-H. Henning, E. Heybowicz, W. Klemm, A. Knöchel, A. Müller, J. Namieśnik, E. Niedźwiecki, E. Niemirycz, A. Perkowska, M. Protasowicki, T. Puff, O. Thell, M. Wessels, C. Wittmuß, L. Wolska, 2002: Die Belastung der Oder. Ergebnisse des Internationalen Oderprojekts (IOP) [Zanieczyszczenie rzeki Odry. Wyniki Międzynarodowego Projektu Odra (IOP)]. Univ. Hamburg. 4. Niedźwiecki E., M. Protasowicki, M. Trzaskoś, E. Meller R. Malinowski, A. Samel, 2004: Zasobność gleb Międzyodrza w składniki mineralne a skład chemiczny porastającej je roślinności na przykładzie Polderu Widuchowskiego [Nutrient resources of the Odra River delta soils and chemical composition of their vegetation cover case study of the Widuchowa Polder]. Roczniki Gleboznawcze, 55(4), [in Polish] 5. Niedźwiecki E., Protasowicki M., Ciereszko W., Markowski S., Meller E., 1993: Chemiczne właściwości gleb Łęgów Regalickich Wyspy Puckiej w obrębie Szczecina w zaleŝności od sposobu uŝytkowania. Zesz. Probl. Post. Nauk Roln., 1993, 412, [in Polish] 9

10 6. Niedźwiecki E., Tran Van Chin, 1991: Chemical properties of bottom sediments on dumping areas near shipping lane Swinoujście Szczecin. Polish Journal of Soil Science, 24(2), Osiecimski R., 1966: Rys historyczny powstania toru wodnego Szczecin-Świnoujście z punktu widzenia hydrotechnicznego. Wyd. Instytutu Morskiego w Gdańsku. Materiały Nr H-79, [in Polish] 8. Piszczek J., Chudecki Z., Greinert H., 1965: Niektóre właściwości namułów z dna toru wodnego Szczecin-Świnoujście. Zeszyty Naukowe WyŜszej Szkoły Rolniczej w Szczecinie, 18, [in Polish] 9. Piszczek J., Chudecki Z., Kwarta Cz., 1961: Gleby początkowego stadium rozwojowego powstające z namułów wydobytych z Zalewu Szczecińskiego. Zeszyty Naukowe WyŜszej Szkoły Rolniczej w Szczecinie, 5, [in Polish] 10. Pondel H., 1959: Wartość uŝytkowa namułów z toru wodnego Szczecin-Świnoujście. Roczniki Gleboznawcze, 2, [in Polish] 11. Protasowicki M., Niedźwiecki E., Ciereszko W., Perkowska A., Meller E., 1999: The comparison of sediment contamination in the area of estuary and the lower course of the Odra before and after the flood of summer Acta Hydrochim. Hydrobiol., 27(5), Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, 1995: Zanieczyszczenia osadów dennych ujścia Odry metalami cięŝkimi w świetle wieloletnich badań. w: Europejski ład ekologiczny, a problemy ochrony środowiska krajów nadbałtyckich (red. J.C. Chojnacki i E.J. Pałyga), Warszawa 1995, (ISBN ). [in Polish] 13. Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, 1991: ZagroŜenia ekologiczne w strefie ujścia Odry ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem metali cięŝkich. w: Substancje Toksyczne w Środowisku (red. Smoczyńska A. i in.), ART Olsztyn, 3-6. [in Polish] 14. Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, 1993: Zawartość metali cięŝkich w osadach dennych portów ujścia Odry. Studia i Materiały MIR, seria S, [in Polish] 15. Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, W. Ciereszko, 1993: Heavy metals content and chlororganic substances in sediment cores from the Szczecin Lagoon. in: Pollutants in Environment (eds. Smoczyńska A. et al.), ART Olsztyn, Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, W. Ciereszko, A. Perkowska, E. Meller, 1998: Skład chemiczny osadów dennych portu szczecińskiego przed i po powodzi na przykładzie rzeki Parnicy. [The chemical composition of bottom sediments of Szczecin port areas before and after the 1997 flood based on the Parnica river]. W: Ochrona i rekultywacja terenów Odry. Sytuacja po powodzi 1997 roku 10

11 [Protection and Recultivation of the Odra-Basin Areas. The situation after overflow 1997]. (eds. H. Greinert, U. Kołodziejczyk, A. Greinert), ZDW Zielona Góra, [ISBN ]. [in Polish] 17. Protasowicki M., E. Niedźwiecki, W. Ciereszko, G. Schalitz, 1997: The heavy metals and chloroorganic substances content in the bottom sediments Western and Eastern part of the Odra River between Widuchowa and Szczecin. Zesz. Nauk. AR Szczec., 180(67), Protasowicki M., Niedźwiecki E., Ciereszko W., Meller E., 1994: O- cena stanu zanieczyszczenia osadów dennych, niektórymi metalami cięŝkimi i związkami chloroorganicznymi. w: Zalew Szczeciński - zmiany jakościowe w wieloleciu (red. T. Mutko). Państwowa Inspekcja Ochrony Środowiska, Warszawa, [in Polish] 19. Sagalski A., Stolarz J., 1986: Rozmieszczenie i charakterystyka pól refulacyjnych utrzymywanych przez Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. W: Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Erozyjne nt. Racjonalna gospodarka - ochroną potencjału produkcyjnego gleb Pomorza Zachodniego (przewodnik po trasie terenowej). Polskie Towarzystwo Gleboznawcze, Katedra Gleboznawstwa Akademii Rolniczej w Szczecinie, [in Polish] 11