scholarly journals BALLAST WATER POLLUTION RISK ASSESSMENT IN THE BLACK SEA

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Vasile RAŢᾸ ◽  
Liliana RUSU

Since the emergence of humanity, the marine environment has provided a safety net in many ways, has fostered socio-economic development, creating links between states, between continents. In the same time, it represents a priority source of food for a considerable percentage of the population. The same marine environment also creates solutions to current global problems, as a potential source of sustainable energy for the future. In recent decades, the stability of this ecosystem has been  considerably shaken by the various types of pollution resulting from human activities. The Black Sea is not immune to these results from economic activities, such as the transport of goods by water, which creates the context for the migration of living organisms from one geographical region to another. The threat of ecosystems has been intensified by the process of globalization, by changing the natural food chains following the accidental introduction of non- indigenous marine life by discharging ballast water from ship tanks. Risk assessment to limit the effects of this biohazard problem is the first step in a normal regional chain of action..

Author(s):  
Iryna Makarenko

In this chapter, the role of the Black Sea Commission in the preservation of marine environment will be considered. Particular emphasis will be placed on the activities related to management of the marine living resources, the legal gaps in the documents and institutional structure, as well the current trends and challenges on the regional and global level. An overview of relevant Black Sea Commission's observers and partners will be provided; existing and possible future arrangements with them will be further described and analyzed. Some concrete recommendations on the improvements in the management of marine living resources in the Black Sea basin will be proposed.


Purpose. The study is aimed at estimation of marine pollution in the northwestern part of the Black Sea by some persistent organic pollutants (POPs), in particular polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). Methods. Peculiarities of marine pollution were determined on the basis of research conducted at the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES). The content of PCBs and HCB was determined on a gas chromatograph Agilent 7890B with a capillary column and an electronic capture detector using the methods of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-3545A, 3630C, 8081, 8082A, 8275A). The ecological state of the marine environment was determined using developed in UkrSCES the “Ecological standards of marine environment quality”, which allow us to assess the quality status of such components of the marine environment (sea water, bottom sediments and biota). Results. The methodology of environmental standards has been adapted to assess the pollution of the marine environment of POPs. The ecological state of sea water and bottom sediments of the northwestern part of the Black Sea is determined according to the established values of Maximum Concentration Limit (MCL) and Ecological Standards (ES). The ecological state of marine biota was assessed by HCB pollution according to the established Ecological Standard. The European analogue of MCL (MAC-EQS) for industrial marine organisms was used to assess the ecological state of marine organisms for PCBs pollution (but it should be noted that the assessment was performed only for non-dioxin-like PCBs. Standard for the content of PCBs in marine organisms, in particular, – of industrial importance, must be implemented in Ukraine at the legislative level. For integral assessment of the ecological state of the marine environment and the specifics of POPs pollution in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, it is necessary to introduce a comprehensive monitoring system that would analyze marine pollution by all POPs required by the Stockholm Convention. Conclusions. The ecological state of the sea water of the northwestern part of the Black Sea by POPs pollution in most cases corresponds to the category "very good". The state of marine biota in most cases corresponds to the quality classes "good" and "very good", but in Ukraine there are no clear standards that would regulate the content of PCBs in marine biota, in particular – for industrial important species of marine organisms. The ecological condition of bottom sediments is mainly classified as "satisfactory" and "poor", which under certain natural conditions can be a source of secondary pollution of sea water and biota. For integral assessment of the ecological state, it is necessary to take into account all POPs, which can significantly change the results of the assessment of the quality of the marine environment of the northwestern part of the Black Sea.


Oceanology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-298
Author(s):  
E. V. Yakushev ◽  
O. I. Podymov ◽  
A. V. Egorov ◽  
T. P. Demidova ◽  
S. V. Pakhomova ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
Blagovest Belev

Marine ecosystems are under increasing anthropogenic pressures from marine and terrestrial activities. Shipping forms a network that spans the globe and introduces many economically and environmentally harmful invasive species, including human diseases such as cholera. Ship traffic, the major cause of change in the open ocean, and its temporal evolution are still largely unknown. Since the 1960s the Black Sea has undergone dramatic environmental changes. These changes are considered as result from a complex interaction of different pressures, the most important being eutrophication, overfishing and introduction of alien species. Some nations, and the International Maritime Organization, are moving towards requirements for managing ballast water to reduce the number of alien species transported and released.


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