scholarly journals Practical Difficulties of Sampling Ballast Tanks - What Lessons Can Be Learned?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Evans ◽  
Emma Langley
Keyword(s):  
Ballast Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Small Time ◽  
Performance Standard ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Ballast Tank ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Ballast Tanks

The adoption of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWMC) in 2004 (herewith the Convention) has sought to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in the ballast water and sediments of ships, threatening marine ecosystems worldwide. The Convention sets out the various requirements and the various steps vessels owners / operators and port States need to undertake in order to effectively manage ballast water and sediments. However, there are still open issues and uncertainty, including the scientific and practical challenges of sampling of ballast tanks and monitoring compliance with the Convention’s standards. In order to monitor compliance with the Convention’s standards, documented management practices can be inspected for appropriateness and inspection of vessel log books can give an indication that practices have been implemented. However, sampling is the most effective way to ensure compliance with standards set out in the Convention. To check compliance with the D-1 (exchange) standard, vessel log books should be inspected and sampling can be used to check for anomalies in the composition of the ballast water (e.g. salinity). D-1 compliance is intended as an interim step until treatment systems are more widely available – although, some ports may require exchange as well as treatment in the long term. Compliance with the D-2 (performance) standard following treatment of the ballast water requires the sampling of biological, chemical and physical parameters. Whether checking compliance to the D-1 or D-2 standards, there are significant sampling challenges. These include the logistics of gaining vessel access; having multiple sample methods available to suit ballast tank access restrictions; getting a representative sample; sample analyses; sample interpretation and; what to do if a sample fails? In addition to this, local requirements can present further challenges (e.g. small time windows for bacterial analysis). This paper will highlight the difficulties of sampling ballast tanks in practice, drawing from national and international experiences, and will also comment more broadly on the sampling process and governance – such as regional differences and the role of port State control. Drawing on protocols adopted by other states will help to facilitate a more efficient, consistent and organised implementation of the Convention to the shipping community worldwide.

Numerical Simulation of Sloshing of Water in Ship Tanks During Sequential Ballast Water Exchange in Seaways

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Arai ◽  
Humberto S. Makiyama ◽  
Liang-Yee Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Ballast Water ◽  
Water Exchange ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Exchange Method ◽  
Ballast Tank ◽  
Open Sea ◽  
Merchant Ship ◽  
Ballast Tanks

In recent years, ballast water has been blamed for a variety of marine pollution problems, particularly for transporting harmful aquatic organisms from one part of the world to another and damaging the ecosystem of the new areas. A relatively simple mechanism to control this problem is to exchange ballast water on the high seas between ports in order to remove invasive species before the ship reaches its destination. However, some issues regarding ballast exchange on the open sea need to be addressed before this operation is introduced. One of them is the sloshing of the sea water in the ballast tank. In this paper, ballast water exchange on the open sea by means of the Sequential exchange method is simulated. Irregular seaways are generated from the ISSC spectrum, and the sloshing response of the water in the ballast tanks of a large merchant ship is numerically computed by using a finite difference code developed by the authors. The results showed that there is little possibility that severe sloshing presents a serious problem in regard to the ballast tank’s strength, especially in the case of a bulk carrier whose tanks are generally short in length, with sloshing anticipated only at the low water level.

scholarly journals Ballast water management and their system processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-60
Author(s):  
M. Diasamidze ◽  
A. Shotadze
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Management Options ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Ballast Tanks ◽  
Control And Management ◽  
Ballast Water Management

Ballast water provides stability and maneuverability to a ship. Large ships can carry millions of gallons of ballast water. Ballast water discharged by ships can have a negative impact on the marine environment. There are thousands of marine species that may be carried in ships’ ballast water; In order to reduce the risk of new introductions of exotic species, the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments in 2004. This Convention aims ‘to continue the development of safer and more effective Ballast Water Management options that will result in continued prevention, minimization and ultimate elimination of the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens’. To prevent possible invasions, organisms should not be discharged from ballast tanks. This can be achieved by treating the ballast water, for instance by killing organisms that are travelling in the ballast water.

A Study into the Coating Thickness of Ship Ballast Tanks

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (A3) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Khan ◽  
F Khan ◽  
B Veitch
Keyword(s):  
Coating Thickness ◽  
Performance Standard ◽  
Coating System ◽  
Ballast Tank ◽  
Coating Performance ◽  
Coating Application ◽  
Flat Surfaces ◽  
Ballast Tanks ◽  
Dry Film Thickness

Ballast tanks are expected to be coated according to the IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coating regulations (PSPC15), in addition to the paint application requirements of the paint producer. In general, a coating system should consist of minimum two spray coats of light-colored epoxy coating on flat surfaces with a Nominal total Dry Film Thickness (NDFT) of 320 μm and 90% of all thickness measurements greater than, or equal to the NDFT and none of the remaining measurements below 0.9 x NDFT (the “90/10 rule”). Allegedly, the value of 320 μm in this PSPC15 rule may be misconstrued as a benchmark for coating application on flat surfaces, eventually leading to a non-PSPC15 compliance due to the resulting variation in coating thickness violating this 90/10 rule. This study indicates that over the years, the arithmetic mean in-situ DFT appears to be 498±18 μm and that too high and low thicknesses, below 288 μm and above 800 μm, were noted in the field. Analysis of a survey of ballast tank coating performance of ships indicates that too low thicknesses appear to be negatively impacting the average theoretical ballast tank performance. However, when an application mean DFT benchmark of 525 μm is used, the coating will almost surely comply to the 90/10 rule and the risk of falling below the 288 μm threshold is small, less than 2% in most cases. Consequently, using 320 μm as a mean DFT benchmark could result in a non-PSPC15 compliance with the in-situ ascertained coating thickness variation as this does not exclude coating thicknesses below 288 μm, which may then result in a significantly less than average theoretical coating performance. If the coating application is performed very evenly, the benchmark may be reduced to 429 μm with a probability of falling below 288 μm reduced to 0.1%. It should therefore be emphasized that the PSPC15 requirement is a coating system framework description, and that the requirement should be broadened to include a mean DFT as a coating applicator benchmark together with a clearly specified minimum and maximum DFT, in order to avoid any misinterpretations.

scholarly journals Ballast water management for sustainable development – some remarks on Polish law

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 01027
Author(s):  
Dorota Pyć
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Polish Law ◽  
Control And Management

The main aim of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) is to prevent, minimize and ultimately eliminate the risk of introducing harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP) transferred in ships’ ballast waters and sediments to non-native environment for them, mainly for waters in seaports and coastal waters. The BWM Convention entered into force globally on 8 September 2017. This convention is based on the precautionary principle and the ecosystem approach to achieving sustainable development goals. Effective protection and preservation of the maritime environment depends on the preventive and reasonable actions, especially in case of environmental threats or combating pollution. This means that it is necessary to react efficiently by relevant authorities and boost international and regional cooperation, as well as development of other instruments such as inspection and reporting systems. The purpose of this paper is to present the state of preparation to the implementation of the BWM Convention in connection with its ratification by Poland, which is planned for 2018.

scholarly journals Using Onboard-Produced Drinking Water to Achieve Ballast-Free Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7648
Author(s):  
Kun-Tu Lu ◽  
Hon-Kit Lui ◽  
Chen-Tung Arthur Chen ◽  
Li-Lian Liu ◽  
Lei Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Water Tank ◽  
Ballast Tank ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Small Vessels ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Control And Management ◽  
Ballast Water Management

Based on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the Ballast Water Management Convention, or BWM Convention) of the International Maritime Organization, from 8 September 2017, all ships must have an approved Ballast Water Management Treatment System (BWTS) to prevent the invasion of alien species through the discharge of ballast. Generally speaking, the need for an approved BWTS is limited to large vessels, as they are too large or too expensive for small vessels to install. This study aims to propose a simple ballast-free approach for small vessels (e.g., tugs, workboats, research vessels) that require ballast to compensate for the weight loss of fuel when sailing. Our approach involves refitting the dedicated ballast tank of these small vessels to be drinking water tanks and filling the tanks with onboard-generated distilled or reverse osmosis water to adjust the stability of the ships. We assessed our approach using three vessels. Two ships using our proposed method were certified by the American Bureau of Shipping as containing no ballast water tank, and not being subject to the BWM Convention. This study provides an environmentally harmless, easy to use, and economical approach for small vessels to comply with the BWM Convention.

A STUDY INTO THE COATING THICKNESS OF SHIP BALLAST TANKS

2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (A3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Willemen ◽  
D Luyckx ◽  
R Meskens ◽  
S Lenaerts ◽  
K De Baere
Keyword(s):  
Coating Thickness ◽  
Performance Standard ◽  
Coating System ◽  
Ballast Tank ◽  
Coating Performance ◽  
Coating Application ◽  
Flat Surfaces ◽  
Ballast Tanks ◽  
Dry Film Thickness

Ballast tanks are expected to be coated according to the IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coating regulations (PSPC15), in addition to the paint application requirements of the paint producer. In general, a coating system should consist of minimum two spray coats of light-colored epoxy coating on flat surfaces with a Nominal total Dry Film Thickness (NDFT) of 320 μm and 90% of all thickness measurements greater than, or equal to the NDFT and none of the remaining measurements below 0.9 x NDFT (the “90/10 rule”). Allegedly, the value of 320 μm in this PSPC15 rule may be misconstrued as a benchmark for coating application on flat surfaces, eventually leading to a non-PSPC15 compliance due to the resulting variation in coating thickness violating this 90/10 rule. This study indicates that over the years, the arithmetic mean in-situ DFT appears to be 498±18 μm and that too high and low thicknesses, below 288 μm and above 800 μm, were noted in the field. Analysis of a survey of ballast tank coating performance of ships indicates that too low thicknesses appear to be negatively impacting the average theoretical ballast tank performance. However, when an application mean DFT benchmark of 525 μm is used, the coating will almost surely comply to the 90/10 rule and the risk of falling below the 288 μm threshold is small, less than 2% in most cases. Consequently, using 320 μm as a mean DFT benchmark could result in a non-PSPC15 compliance with the in-situ ascertained coating thickness variation as this does not exclude coating thicknesses below 288 μm, which may then result in a significantly less than average theoretical coating performance. If the coating application is performed very evenly, the benchmark may be reduced to 429 μm with a probability of falling below 288 μm reduced to 0.1%. It should therefore be emphasized that the PSPC15 requirement is a coating system framework description, and that the requirement should be broadened to include a mean DFT as a coating applicator benchmark together with a clearly specified minimum and maximum DFT, in order to avoid any misinterpretations.

Phytoplankton Diversity in Offshore, Port and Ballast Water of a Foreign Vessel in Negros Occidental, Philippines

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Gil S. Sarinas ◽  
Lorna D. Gellada ◽  
Marlon R. Teruňez ◽  
June Raymund Peter V. Flores ◽  
Aaron C. Hisanan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ballast Water ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Shipping Industry ◽  
Phytoplankton Diversity ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Ballast Tanks ◽  
Development Center

Introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in our ocean is one of the greatest threats according to the IMO (International Maritime Organization). Alien or invasive species travel from one ocean to the other through ballast water from the international shipping industry which is very inevitable. In the Philippines, few existing studies were established on phytoplankton composition in ballast tanks of a foreign vessel; thus this study is conducted. This study aimed to identify the phytoplankton diversity of offshore, port and ballast water from a foreign vessel docking in Negros Occidental, Philippines. Furthermore, this study aimed to determine the cell density, generic diversity and evenness and physicochemical characteristics such as pH, temperature and salinity. A total of 39 liters were taken from the middle column of the offshore, port and ballast tanks through sounding pipe and siphon technique. Temperature, pH and salinity were measured, in situ. All water samples were preserved with Lugol’s solution and transported in the Phycology laboratory at Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center-AQD. This study provides baseline information on phytoplankton diversity present in offshore, port and ballast water from a foreign-going vessel in the Philippines.   Keywords - ecology and conservation, ballast water, phytoplankton, generic diversity, ballast water sampling, generic evenness, Negros Occidental, Philippines

An Assessment of Progress in the Implementation of the BWM Convention on Ships as an Important Element in Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 78-93
Author(s):  
Kinga Zatoń-Sieczka ◽  
Przemysław Czerniejewski
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Global Problem ◽  
Proper Training ◽  
Ballast Tanks ◽  
Water Treatments ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Ship Ballast Water

The purpose of this study was to assess progress in the implementation of rules for the control and handling of ballast water and sediments, regulated by the International Convention on the Control and Handling of Ship Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention). The survey was conducted in 2018-2019 among seafarers responsible for handling ballast tanks. Analysis of the survey data revealed that despite the introduction of water treatments, ballast water continues to be a vector for the transfer of non-native organisms. This is due to the low effectiveness of the methods used, and the fact that 8% of the respondents answered that no BWT systems were used on the ships they manage. Despite this, some seafarers (4.7%) indicated that increasing environmental awareness and adherence to BWM principles should result in improved protection of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, the global problem concerning the transport of non-native organisms via ballast water has still not been solved effectively. In the near future, improved BWT systems should be introduced, which after proper training of the crew will act as a barrier to the transfer of non-native organisms in ballast water.

Road Salt Application in Highland Creek Watershed, Toronto, Ontario - Chloride Mass Balance

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandana Perera ◽  
Bahram Gharabaghi ◽  
Peter Noehammer ◽  
Bruce Kilgour
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Chloride Concentration ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Road Salt ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Chloride Mass Balance ◽  
Creek Watershed ◽  
Chloride Concentrations

Abstract Occurrence of increasing chloride concentrations in urban streams of cold climates, mainly due to road salt application, has raised concerns on its adverse effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need for a better understanding of processes associated with road salt application and subsequent discharge into the environment in order to develop management practices to minimize detrimental effects of chlorides. The chloride mass analysis for the Highland Creek watershed based on four years of hourly monitoring data indicates that approximately 60% of the chlorides applied on the watershed enter streams prior to subsequent salting period, 85% of which occurs during the period between November and March. Contribution of private de-icing operations on chloride mass input within Highland Creek watershed was estimated to be approximately 38%, indicating its significance in overall chloride mass balance. Salt application rates, as well as chloride output in the streams, vary spatially based on land use, influencing chloride concentrations in surface waters. The estimated groundwater chloride concentration of 275 mg/L indicates that some aquatic organisms in Highland Creek would potentially be at risk even outside the winter period under dry weather flow conditions.

Critical review of the IMO international convention on the management of ships’ ballast water and sediments

Harmful Algae ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Gollasch ◽  
Matej David ◽  
Matthias Voigt ◽  
Egil Dragsund ◽  
Chad Hewitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
International Convention
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