This Workshop was organized to assess the status of knowledge on the behaviour of phosphorus in sediments and to define gaps and reassess research strategies, particularly with respect to prevalent methodology and future approach; and to define gaps and reassess research strategies for water management measures in aquatic ecosystems, especially in relation to the release of phosphorus from the sediments and its impact on the functioning of the whole system.

In the USA, Western and Central Europe, there are many large-scale polluted sites that are too large to be cleaned up economically with available technologies. The pollution is caused by heavy industries to soils and sediments in waterways and reservoirs. Since these areas are expected to remain polluted for many years, it is necessary to take a long-term view to insure that the capacity to retain the contaminants is not diminished and to understand the potential for large-scale contaminant mobilization at these sites triggered by changing environmental conditions. This book provides information for predicting long-term changes and making risk assessments and describes the approach of geochemical engineering to handling large-scale polluted sites.