Batagoda, J.H., S.D.A Hewage, and J.N. Meegoda.
Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science [Published online 29 Jan 2019 prior to print]

The lower 12.875 km of the Passaic River is heavily contaminated due to industrial activities, such as heavy metal extraction from chromium-ore-processing plants and production of pesticides and herbicides. Conventional methods for remediating contaminated sediments have limited application due to the tidal action and urban area of the contaminated section of the river. Bench-scale tests were performed to evaluate the feasibility of in situ treatment using ultrasound and ozone nanobubbles to remediate the sediments. Ozone nanobubbles increased the solubility of ozone in water and reduced wastage. Cr oxidation increased as ozone concentrations increased in water. A synthetic soil with a grain size distribution similar to that of actual river sediments was artificially contaminated with Cr and used in this research. Test results showed a 97.54% Cr removal efficiency, suggesting the feasibility of the proposed technology for pilot-scale studies. See an information brief at https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10026402.