A Study on the Analysis of Suspended Solids Dispersion during Marine Construction Activities

This study analyzed the current status of 84 marine environmental impact assessment reports for development projects from 2022 to 2025. Key parameters, including construction volume, generation of suspended solids (SS), the spatial range(area) of SS diffusion under various marine conditions, applicable numerical models, and primary input conditions, were evaluated. Furthermore, the relationships between construction volume, SS generation, and the calculated diffusion area were compared using a weighted concentration threshold of 1 mg/L. The results indicate that while the total amount of SS generally increases with construction volume, this relationship is not consistent across different sea areas. The ratio (A/B) of average construction volume (A) to SS generation (B) was highest in the East Sea (137.8), followed by the South Sea (121.3) and the West Sea (101.6), demonstrating that SS generation and diffusion area are not strictly proportional to construction volume. Finally, no significant correlations were observed between physical marine factors—such as the tidal spring range, tidal form number, and observed maximum surface current velocity during spring tides—and the mean background SS concentration.