Demonstration and Commercialization of the Sediment Ecosystem Assessment Protocol (SEAP)
ER-201130
Objective
The objective of this project is to demonstrate, commercialize, and promote regulatory acceptance of the integrated assessment tools, namely the Sediment Ecotoxicity Assessment Ring (SEA-Ring), developed in the SERDP Sediment Ecosystem Assessment Protocol (SEAP) project (ER-1550). Specific technical objectives of the demonstration are to (1) refine the current prototype to be more robust, user friendly, and cost-effective for commercial application and standardize test and quality control procedures; (2) generate sufficient high-quality data to scientifically validate the SEAP technology, introduce the Department of Defense (DoD) user community to the technology, and promote regulatory acceptance through rigorous demonstrations at select DoD sites located in geographically diverse settings; and (3) develop cost and performance data to support the commercialization of the technology and establish a pathway for full-scale DoD implementation.
Technology Description
SEAP technology integrates in situ biological uptake and effects measures with passive sampling devices and physicochemical tools to assess the sediment-water interface, surficial sediment, overlying water, and advective exposure pathways at contaminated sediment sites. Minor modifications also allow for direct application to surface water exposure pathway assessment. The prototype SEA-Ring consists of a circular carousel capable of housing an array of in situ bioassay chambers and passive sampling devices. The SEA-Ring represents an improvement over traditional laboratory-based approaches, particularly with respect to scenarios where laboratory testing cannot sufficiently characterize exposure or effects. These scenarios include, but are not limited to, accurate assessment of (1) in situ remedy effectiveness and (2) time varying stressors (i.e., storm water discharges, underwater unexploded ordnance/discarded military munitions, tidally influenced groundwater seepage, or oil spills). The prototype SEA-Ring is a Navy and University of Michigan patent pending technology.
Benefits
This project will formalize the development, validation and implementation of the SEAP in situ exposure technology. Through successful demonstration and implementation, this technology is expected to:
- Fill a critical gap for assessing the success of existing and emerging in-place remedies including traditional sand caps, amended caps, treatment barriers, surface sediment amendments, and funnel/gate systems
- Provide a unique ability to address situations with time-varying or in situ source dependent stressors that are inadequately characterized using standard laboratory methods
- Provide the first realistic integrated assessment system for contaminated sediment during the characterization phase that will vastly improve the representativeness of investigations while maintaining an adequate level of experimental and quality control.
From a cost perspective, the aim is that this technology will be of comparative cost to traditional methods while providing an integrated and more representative weight-of-evidence to support improved decision making. The primary cost advantages thus result from (1) a focus of remediation only on those areas that realistically represent risk to the environment, (2) the improved ability to implement in situ remedies, which are generally significantly lower cost relative to dredging, and (3) the cost-effective ability to assess sites and conditions that simply cannot be assessed in any adequate way using traditional laboratory methods. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2014)
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Mr. Gunther Rosen
SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific
Phone: 619-553-0886
Fax: 619-553-0886
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.