Ballast Water Treatment Research Articles

Potential impacts of ballast water regulations on international trade, shipping patterns, and the global economy: An integrated transportation and economic modeling assessment

Global ballast water management regulations aiming to decrease aquatic species invasion require actions that can increase shipping costs. We employ an integrated shipping cost and global economic modeling approach to investigate the impacts of ballast water regulations on bilateral trade, national economies, and shipping patterns. Given the potential need for more stringent regulation at regional hotspots of species invasions, this work considers two ballast water treatment policy scenarios: implementation of current international regulations, and a possible stricter regional regulation that targets ships traveling to and from the United States while other vessels continue to face current standards. We find that ballast water management compliance costs under both scenarios lead to modest negative impacts on international trade and national economies overall. However, stricter regulations applied to U.S. ports are expected to have large negative impacts on bilateral trade of several specific commodities for a few countries. Trade diversion causes decreased U.S. imports of some products, leading to minor economic welfare losses.

Raman spectroscopy as a tool for viability assessment of planktonic organisms in UV treated ballast water

To comply with regulations stated by the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization, ballast water discharged by ships must be treated to avoid the spread of invasive organisms including algae. In this study, Raman spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis was used to make a Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) classification model for discrimination between viable (potential invasive) and UV exposed non-viable organisms. UV exposure is commonly used as a ballast water treatment strategy and a UV based exposure method was developed such that non-viable (and dying) algae consistently could be obtained. Raman spectra from both viable and UV treated algae of Rhodomonas salina and Tetraselmis suecica were measured. A PLS-DA model was obtained to form the normalized dataset, and Cross-Validated using Venetian blinds. Based on their individual Raman spectra, it was possible to obtain 100 % discrimination between the two algal species. The model classified 92 and 91 % of the viable algae correctly for R. salina and T. suecica, respectively, as opposed to 82 and 94 % for non-viable algae. In conclusion, in this proof of concept study, Raman spectroscopy was found to have a potential for algae species identification as well as discrimination between viable and non-viable algae.

Formation of emerging iodinated disinfection by-products during ballast water treatment based on ozonation processes

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) generated by ballast water treatment pose a potential threat to marine environment which aroused widespread concern. In recent years, emerging iodinated DBPs have attracted widespread attention because of their stronger cytotoxicity and genotoxicity than brominated/chlorinated DBPs. In this study, the effects of different natural organic matter species, total residual oxidant (TRO) concentrations, storage time, temperature, pH, bromide and iodide concentrations on the generation of iodinated trihalomethanes (I-THMs) during ozonation process of ballast water were investigated. The results showed that bromochloroiodomethane and diiodochloromethane (DICM) were not detected under all conditions during ozonation of humaic acid (HA). Different kinds of precursors had a significantly effect on the formation of I-THMs. For algal cells as precursor, DICM were detected (1.22 μg/L), while DICM were not detected from oxidation of 1,3-etonedicarboxylic acid, fulvic acid (FA), phenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone and HA as precursors. The yields of I-THMs from oxidation of algal cells, FA and phenol were higher than other precursors. Linear relationships were observed between the formation of I-THMs and TRO concentrations. The yields of I-THMs reached a peak at 48 h (180 μg/L) after ozonation treatment of ballast water, and then decreased with storage time extension. An increase in temperature enhanced the formation of dibromoiodomethane and bromodiiodomethane, while wakened the formation of iodoform and dichloroiodomethane. The formation of I-THMs was complicatedly affected by different pH values in the range from 4 to 9. The more bromide concentrations, the more brominated I-THMs were formed. The concentrations of I-THMs increased with increasing iodide concentrations, and low concentrations of iodide had greater effect on the production of I-THMs than high concentrations of iodide.

Long-term Changes of Disinfection Byproducts in Treatment of Simulated Ballast Water.

This study investigated the changes in concentrations of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs) as disinfection byproducts (DBPs) for different storage times (as long as 20 days) and temperatures (5 to 20°C). A ship’s voyage after treatment of its ballast water with active substances was considered. The HAA showed a clear trend of increasing concentration only with storage time, especially for dibromoacetic acid (DBAA). Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration was increased by the decomposition of dead organisms at 10 days, and then reacted with the remaining total residual oxidants, resulting in increased concentration of DBPs. An environmental risk assessment indicated that DBAN and monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) could have a negative impact on the marine environment. This study suggests that, because all international vessels must have a ballast water management system installed by September, 2024, the conc e ntra tio ns of DBPs, especially DBAN, MCAA, and DBAA, should be monitored in the waters at major international ports.

Effects on inactivation of Tetraselmis suecica following treatment by KBAL: a UV-based ballast water treatment system with an in-line vacuum drop

The transfer of non-native, possibly invasive species in ship’s ballast water is of global concern, and the International Maritime Organization and U.S. Coast Guard have adopted standards to minimize the environmental footprint caused by the maritime industry. In this study, seawater spiked with the phytoplankter Tetraselmis suecica, was treated with Knutsen Ballast Water Treatment Technology (KBAL), combining UV irradiation with an in-line vacuum drop. The test water was subsequently incubated in dark tanks, simulating what happens onboard a ship, where ballast water is treated at intake, stored in dark ballast tanks during the voyage, and then treated at discharge. Our results of the test water treated with KBAL and stored 5 days in the dark showed < 10 viable T. suecica cells ml−1 when assessing reproduction and > 10 living cells ml−1 when assessing metabolism. This highlights the challenge UV-based BWTS can encounter when meeting testing regimes assessing different characteristics of life. By comparing the effects caused by KBAL treatment with effects caused by UV irradiation only, we demonstrated that the pressure/vacuum technology seems to improve the disinfection effect. In addition, our investigations point out possible challenges with in situ conditions getting representative ballast water samples.

Optimization of nickel nanoparticles concentration for biogas enhancement from green algae anaerobic digestion

The process of ship ballast water treatment and algae disaster management has produced a large amount of algae waste, and its disposal has become a key problem in the field of marine environmental protection. Algae waste has great potential to become a raw material for biogas production, and can comprehend multiple benefits of waste treatment and resource utilization. In order to increase the productivity characteristic of algae waste, this study is focused on introducing nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) in anaerobic digestion (AD) of green algae Enteromorpha . Optimization of Ni NPs was carried out by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Batch experiments were conducted to optimize AD process of green algae at different temperature (25–45 °C), initial pH (5–9) and Ni NPs concentration range of (0.5–2 mg/L). Results showed that favourable concentration for Ni NPs is 1 mg/L whereas the temperature and initial pH of 35 °C and 7 had better effect on anaerobic digestion of green algae. The results showed that 1 mg/L Ni NPs produced highest biogas yield of 346 ml in comparison with other concentrations and control.

Sediments in the ship’s ballast water tank: a problem to be solved

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) was entered into force in September 2017. It deals with one of the greatest threats to coastal and marine environments around the world: aquatic invasive alien species (IAS) and harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP). Although the control of IAS and HAOP through treatment of ballast water (BW) is appropriately dealt with in the Convention and its implementation, the problems generated by sediments are not treated in such a manner. There are many published technical and scientific papers, discussions and commentaries proposing the remediation of the present situation. They are discussed, and recommendations are summarized. Besides, several systems for the treatment of BW use a combination of two or three techniques, with filtration usually being the first and/or the last step. Presence of sediments in BW results in the reduced applicability of such an approach. The requirements for sediment management procedures are discussed along with a proposal for their implementation. In the first step, the ballast tank sediments should be freed of active biological agents for the elimination of IAS and HAOP. Instead of biological agents, we advocate the use of radiation treatment by using an electron accelerator, preferably in an on-shore installation or as a mobile, additive, sea container size units with integral power, separated for water and sediment treatment. In the second step, the concentrations of heavy metals should be determined. We recommend the use of EDXRF as an analytical method. After the determination of sediment class, the recommended disposal procedures should be followed. Sediment management procedures should specify the disposal requirements: (i) free of active biological agents, IAS and HAOP; (ii) chemical composition, no chemical elements in a toxic range (≤ Class 3); and (iii) displacement/storage requirements, displacing sediments characterized as harmful in appropriate sediment reception facilities/landfills.

Removal of larvae of two marine invasive bivalves, Mytilopsis sallei (Récluz, 1849) and Mytella strigata (Hanley, 1843), by water treatment processes

The uptake and discharge of bivalve larvae through ballast water operations is a highly viable mechanism for transfer of shellfish. In this paper, we investigate the effects of common water treatment processes on the planktotrophic larvae of the two invasive species of shellfish, Mytilopsis sallei and Mytella strigata. The study found that common water treatment processes used in many ballast water treatment systems were effective for the removal of bivalve larvae, although later stages of larval forms required more effort to remove.

Assessing sustainable consumption practices on cruise ships

Purpose This study aims to examine a hierarchical framework for sustainable consumption (SC) for cruise ships and identify the causal relationships and decisive attributes of cruise ship operation practices that allow cruise organizations to achieve a higher level of sustainable performance. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a hybrid of the Delphi method and a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). DEMATEL methodology helps to construct complex causal relations through digraphs, which depict interrelationships among attributes. The fuzzy set theory assesses experts’ perceptions of attributes given in linguistic preferences. The Delphi method has been previously used to validate attributes and determine the validity and reliability of the construct from qualitative information. Findings A set of three aspects containing 21 criteria were defined based on previous literature and expert consultations. The analysis results show that waste minimization and recycling and recovery are causal aspects that influence efficient resource use. Emission controls on ships, cruise ship alternative energy sources, ballast water treatment systems, water purification systems and nanofiltration systems are also prominent criteria for the improvement of SC during cruise ship operation. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by offering a hierarchical framework for SC literature and confirming the role of this issue in improving the cruise industry sustainability. In practice, as such results provide key attributes for successful performance, the implications are offered for companies developing new activities, either in ensuring compliance with business goals or in decreasing the environmental impact.

Development of Auto Strainer Test Standard(Draft) for Ballast Water Treatment System

Development of Auto Strainer Test Standard(Draft) for Ballast Water Treatment System

Effect of shear-thinning behavior on flow regimes in Taylor–Couette flows

Taylor–Couette reactors may offer an alternative treatment method for ballast water treatment or for flocculation of small size particles to be removed in water treatment processes due to created high energy dissipation and momentum transfer by Taylor vortices occurred during transitional flow regimes. In this study, the effect of shear-thinning behavior on flow structures and transition thresholds in Taylor–Couette flows for narrow and wide gaps is experimentally investigated using xanthan solutions. The experiments presented in this paper establish the existence of non-axisymmetric flow structures before the Taylor vortex flow regime and an instability threshold to the modified wavy vortex flow from Taylor vortex flow in shear-thinning fluids i.e. altering the instability mechanisms. The critical Reynolds numbers for the first and second instabilities and the structural characteristics of the flow states were identified for Newtonian and shear thinning fluids in comparison. The vortices have varying axial wavelength and also drift along the axis in shear-thinning fluids. The variation of the critical Reynolds number with the shear-thinning index has been shown through three different Reynolds number definitions. It is shown that when the Reynolds number is defined using single preferred value of radially varying viscosity, decreasing shear-thinning index may delay the appearance of Taylor vortices depending on the gap ratio. When the local Reynolds numbers defined based on the local viscosity have been taken into account, shear thinning effect has a monotonic effect on the critical Reynolds number which decreases with decreasing shear-thinning index for both narrow and wide gaps in transition to Taylor vortex flow regime.

Wild microorganism and plankton decay in ballast water treatments by solar disinfection (SODIS) and advanced oxidation processes

Ballast water (BW) is a dead weight used by ships to provide stability in their journeys. It poses health, economic and ecological problems. Since 2017, the International Maritime Organization-IMO mandated management of BW. This research compares plankton mortality and microorganism inactivation in different BW treatments to identify possible decay models. Treatments include solar radiation (Srad), UV, H2O2 and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).In the wild populations, the disinfection capacity was measured in natural seawater pumped from the Santa Marta port zone in Colombia. AOPs showed different models and effectiveness according to the treatment and microorganism. Plankton larger than 50 μm was the most resistant; therefore, it must be removed first by a previous filter. Wild microorganisms showed log-linear and log-linear tail decay models for most AOPs in E. coli. For Vibrio, the models were log-lineal tail and biphasic models.

Validation test on real scale UV reactor for ballast water treatment

Design of UV reactors for drinking water has been widely studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. When combined with collimated beam test (CBT), CFD becomes a powerful tool for verifying the performance of a UV reactor. However, the design of real scale UV reactor for ballast water treatment system (BWTS) has not been extensively studied due to their relatively short R&amp;D history. For this reason, we have attempted to validate the UV reactor through the results of the biological efficacy (BE) test with Tetraselmis microorganism. Through BE tests, we found that 3-log &lt;i&gt;Tetraselmis&lt;/i&gt; inactivation was satisfied when the reduction equivalent dose (RED) was higher than that of 1,500 J/m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;.

The investigation and simulation of the UVOM ballast water treatment device

The marine environments are threatened by discharged wastewater from ships, especially ballast water. In this study, a novel ballast water treatment device (UVOM) was designed and operated for ballast water treatment. The main process of UVOM consists of membrane filter, venture tubes, the UV catalytic TiO2 unit and an ozone generator. Salinity, flow rate and UV intensity was investigated for their efforts on process efficiency. Results indicated that salinity cause less effects on the removal efficiency of UVOM, and flow rate and UV intensity played more important roles. For UV intensity of 50 W and the flow rate no more than 200 L/h, and UV intensity of 75 W and the flow rate no more than 400 L/h, the discharged ballast water can meet the D-2 standard. Back propagation neural network (BPNN) was constructed for simulating the process performance, and it can better describe the process with less deviation between predictive values and real values. The deviation of the total bacteria was from 4.14% to 6.16%, and the deviation of E. coli was from 3.6% to 7.2%. In addition, the results showed that the relative importance of flow rate (65.96%) was significantly larger than UV intensity (34.04%).

Are workers on board vessels involved with chemicals from treated ballast water sufficiently protected? – A decadal perspective and risk assessment

Ballast Water Managements Systems (BWMS) installed on vessels may use Active Substances (AS) to inactivate organisms. This paper provides new insights in the global issue of noxious Disinfection By-Products (DBP) produced with primarily oxidant-based BWMS, and the risk assessment for workers, including port State control officers, while performing tasks on a vessel that involve exposure to treated ballast water. The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection – Ballast Water Working Group (GESAMP-BWWG) plays a role in the certification process of BWMS that make use of AS evaluating potential negative effects. All BWMS that passed GESAMP-BWWG Final Approval until mid 2019 were analyzed providing an overview of chemicals in the treated ballast water before and after neutralization. The ballast tank cleaning scenario, the sampling scenario, and the ballast tank inspection scenario all showed elevated human health risks using the Derived Minimal Effect Levels approach. The most critical exposure occurs in the ballast tank cleaning scenario through the inhalation of volatile DBP, such as tribromomethane. This substance may cause acute effects such as headache, dizziness and also has carcinogenic properties. The two risk reducing options available in the GESAMP-BWWG Tier 2 calculations were compared, one being mitigation measures such as protective gloves and coveralls, the other option is taking into account a time correction factor. The results showed that the trihalomethanes in air are most problematic, however, there is a possibility that the calculated values may be overestimated as generally worst case assumptions were used.

Study on the evolution of large yacht project and construction as consequence of environmental rules

Italy is a leader in the production of yachts, especially in the range between 50 and 70 m, but with the capability to deliver yachts of over 100 mInternationally this field of industry, internationally, has to deal with the environmental rules, and these have a severe impact on the project and the industrial choices.The paper aims at presenting a study about the main rules that became effective in last years, especially the ones becoming operational in 2020 and the consequent impacts in the methodology of project and construction. As a case study I examined a project, where the yachts examined are sister ships, delivered in last 5 years, where the ship and the project have been modified from the first yacht to the following, in order to already respect some of the criteria expected (exhaust pollution with SCR, ballast water treatment etc) in order to verify the changes in design and impact in the construction.

TC-UV Reactor Evaluated as an Alternative Option for Treatment of Ballast Water

TC-UV Reactor Evaluated as an Alternative Option for Treatment of Ballast Water

Saronikos Gulf: a hotspot area for alien species in the Mediterranean Sea

Shipping is the greatest pathway of non-indigenous species (NIS) introductions, and port areas are considered as alien hotspots. In this study, we analyzed data covering a 112-year period and found that Saronikos Gulf in Greece, hosting one of the largest container port terminals in Europe, is a hotspot of NIS introductions. To date, 89 NIS have been recorded, of which 8 are characterized as invasive. Most species belong to the taxonomic group of Mollusca (33%), followed by Pisces (22%). For the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, we report the presence of the micromolluscs Sinezona plicata (Hedley, 1899) and Ringicula sp. Moreover, we provide evidence for the trend of NIS introduction in the Saronikos Gulf across the past 70 years, the pathways of introduction and their importance through time, as well as the distribution of the most invasive species in the Saronikos Gulf. The information provided herein can assist the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and inform NIS management. As Transport-Stowaway remains the main pathway of NIS introduction in the Saronikos Gulf, our principal recommendation is to reinforce regulations for the adoption of better antifouling practices and more effective ballast water treatment and management.

Analysis of Ballast Water Treatment Technologies on Ships Operating in the Baltic Sea Region

AbstractThe introduction of invasive aquatic species in new environments has been identified as one of the four biggest threats to the world's oceans causing serious threats and harm to both ecology and human health. There is a major exchange of ship’s ballast water over longer distances between continents and regional seas, and it has been known for decades that ballast water transfers organisms to new ecosystems, where the strongest, most aggressive and adaptable species can survive and become invasive under favourable conditions. The focus of the research is to study available ballast water control technologies to determine their suitability and effectiveness in the reduction of harmful aquatic organisms and compounds in the Baltic Sea.

Effect of the length of dark storage following ultraviolet irradiation of Tetraselmis suecica and its implications for ballast water management

Meeting the recent biological standards established by the Ballast Water Management Convention requires the application of ballast water treatment systems; ultraviolet irradiation is a frequently used option. However, organisms can repair the damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation primarily with photo-repair mechanisms that are dependent on the availability of light. The objective of this study is to quantify the impact of dark storage following ultraviolet irradiation on the viability of the microalgae Tetraselmis suecica. Results showed that one day of dark storage after ultraviolet irradiation enhanced the inactivation rate by 50% with respect to the absence of dark storage and increased up to the 84% with five days of dark storage. These results are consistent with photorepair, mostly in the first two days, prevented in the dark. The dose required to inactivate a determined ratio of organisms was correlated with the length of the dark post-treatment according to an inverse proportional function. This correlation may help to optimize the operation of ultraviolet ballast water treatment systems. Further, the results show that growth assays can detect organisms that are capable of repair after treatment with UV.