Experiment on use of Iron/Steel Slag to Restore Marine Environment Begins

Kobe Steel Ltd., and its subsidiary companies started a research experiment in July 2009 to verify the effectiveness of a new type of seaweed/fish bed that combines a normal fish bed with iron/steel slag, a by-product of steel manufacturing. The bed was installed in the ocean near Nishijima in the Ieshima archipelago, near Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. The purpose of the experiment is to improve the environment for fish and seaweed production. The experiment will continue for three years, ending in June 2012.

A small fish bed measuring 4.4 m × 3.0 m × 2.0 m, and a large fish bed measuring 8.3 m × 8.3 m × 5 m were installed on the seabed at a depth of five to eight meters, and the experiment is showing satisfactory progress, with seaweed steadily growing and fish swimming near the steel bed.

After iron/steel slag was verified to be effective for restoring marine environments, the Hyogo prefectural government established a research group to investigate the effective use of iron/steel slag in 2008 in order to preserve and restore the both the land and ocean environments. The research group is part of the Hyogo Ecotown Promotion Conference, which was established to promote, research and diffuse the idea of a recycling-based society, through the joint cooperation of industry, government and academia. Through experiments on the ocean utilizing iron/steel slag produced in Hyogo Prefecture, the prefectural government aims to establish a model for improving the environment.

New Technology Helps Restore Barren Seafloors (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026169.html

Kobe Steel Ltd. official website
http://www.kobelco.co.jp/english/

Posted: 2010/07/22 06:00:15 AM