Numerical evaluation of the use of granulated coal ash to reduce an oxygen-deficient water mass

Granulated coal ash (GCA), which is a by-product of coal thermal electric power stations, effectively decreases phosphate and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations in the pore water of coastal marine sediments. In this study, we developed a pelagic-benthic coupled ecosystem model to evaluate the effectiveness of GCA for diminishing the oxygen-deficient water mass formed in coastal bottom water of Hiroshima Bay in Japan. Numerical experiments revealed the application of GCA was effective for reducing the oxygen-deficient water masses, showing alleviation of the DO depletion in summer increased by 0.4-3 mg l− 1. The effect of H2S adsorption onto the GCA lasted for 5.25 years in the case in which GCA was mixed with the sediment in a volume ratio of 1:1. The application of this new GCA-based environmental restoration technique could also make a substantial contribution to form a recycling-oriented society.