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Dredging to Reduce Asbestos Concentrations in the California Aqueduct
Author(s) -
Jones Jeanine,
McGuire Michael J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1987.tb02796.x
Subject(s) - aqueduct , dredging , asbestos , environmental science , sediment , chrysotile , water quality , environmental engineering , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , oceanography , geotechnical engineering , geography , archaeology , ecology , metallurgy , paleontology , materials science , biology
Floodwater draining areas with serpentine deposits in the California Coast Range near Coalinga have carried sediment containing chrysotile asbestos in concentrations of up to 2.6 percent by weight into the California Aqueduct. The state of California Department of Water Resources used commercially available equipment to dredge the asbestos‐laden sediment from a 10‐mi (16‐km) portion of the aqueduct to determine whether removal of sediment is a feasible means of controlling concentrations of asbestos in the water. It was found that thorough dredging essentially eliminated the resuspension of asbestos fibers in water flowing through the dredged reach of the aqueduct, and asbestos concentrations in the dredged reach were not statistically different from the upstream background levels. Dredging to control asbestos makes a significant difference in water quality for the small domestic water systems that are supplied by the California Aqueduct.