Marine & Shipping Sources of Pollution

Port Operations

Liquids

Solids

Mixed Waste

Air Pollution

Ballast Water

Bilge Water

Bunker Fuel

Tank Washing

Oil spills

Compartments at the bottom of aship that are filled with liquids forstability and to make the shipseaworthy.

Ballast water taken up at sea andreleased in port is a major source ofunwanted exotic marine life.(Invasive Species)

Can spread human pathogens andother harmful diseases and toxins

The bilge is the lowest compartment on a shipwhere the two sides meet at the keel.

The water that collects in the bilge must bepumped out to prevent it from becoming too fulland threatening to sink the ship.

Depending on the ship's design and function, bilgewater may contain water, oil, urine, detergents,solvents, chemicals, pitch, particles, and so forth.

Bunker fuel is technically any type of fuel oil usedaboard ships.

Number 5 fuel oil and Number 6 fuel oil are calledresidual fuel oils (RFO) or heavy fuel oils. MoreNumber 6 oil is produced compared to Number 5oil, the terms heavy fuel oil and residual fuel oil aresometimes used as names for Number 6

A major component of tanker architecture is thedesign of the hull or outer structure. A tanker with asingle outer shell between the product and the oceanis said to be single-hulled.

Most newer tankers are double-hulled, with an extraspace between the hull and the storage tanks.

All single-hulled tankers around the world will bephased out by 2026, in accordance with theInternational Convention for the Prevention ofPollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL). The UnitedNations has decided to phase out single hull oiltankers by 2010

Tank washing is necessary on a routine basisfor preventing excessive accumulation ofsludge.

In general, tanks are washed at least everyfour months. Unless the sludge is regularlyremoved, drainage will be slow.

The fuel oil tanks washing must be completedbefore the vessel delivers the discharge to theport and leaves the port.

Oil spills can have devastating effects.

Toxic to marine life, polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs), the components in crudeoil, are very difficult to clean up.

Last for years in the sediment and marineenvironment

Exxon Valdez Alaska March 1989. Over 400,000seabirds, about 1,000 sea otters, and immensenumbers of fish were killed

Dunnage◦ Material used in stowing cargo either for separation or the

prevention of damage.

Garbage◦ MARPOL Annex V bans all overboard disposal of plastics and

limits other discharges based on the form of the material andthe vessel's location and distance from shore. The regulatedgarbage includes solid wastes (other than sewage) generatedduring normal operations at sea.

(1) Vessel garbage management must be viewed as a

system that includes port reception facilities, and thissystem needs to be combined with the integrated solidwaste management system for land generated Waste.

(2) There is a need for new and improved on-board

garbage treatment technologies, a problem that may beresolved in part by adapting commercial equipment usedin homes, retail establishments, and industry.

(Committee on Ship borne Wastes, National Research Council)

The discharge of raw sewage into the sea cancreate a health hazard and, in costal seaareas, can also lead to a depletion of oxygenin the water and visual pollution.

The revised MARPOL Annex IV apply to newand existing ships of 400 gross tonnage andabove or ships which are certified to carrymore than 15 persons, engaged ininternational voyages.

Occasionally during a voyage, cargo mayspoil and mariners are faced with the need tomanage the problem

The ideal way to manage cargo that spoilsduring a voyage would be to offload it fromthe ship to be managed on land

Dumping spoilt cargo at sea should only beconsidered when there is a marked degree ofurgency, facilities on land are unavailable,and it will not cause harm to the environmentor human health.

Discharge of cargo residues from bulkcarriers can pollute ports, waterwaysand oceans

It has been estimated that containerships lose over 10,000 containers atsea each year (usually during storms

Exhaust emissions from ships are consideredto be a significant source of air pollution,with 18-30% of all nitrogen oxide and 9% ofsulphur oxide pollution.

The 15 biggest ships emit about as muchsulphur oxide pollution as all cars combined."By 2010, up to 40% of air pollution over landcould come from ships”.

Sulphur in the air creates acid rain whichdamages crops and buildings.

Legislation on Marine Sulphur Fuel 2005limiting to 0.1% by mass the S content ofmarine fuels used by ships at berth, from 1January 2010

Use of shore-side electricity

Dredging

Ships at Berth

Underwater excavation is called dredging.

After the initial excavation needed toestablish a channel, dredging must be doneperiodically to keep it clear and safe fornavigation. This is called maintenancedredging.

Once sediments are dredged from thewaterway, they are called dredged material.

Disturbs the seabed & creates turbidity.

Sediments may be contaminated and needsafe disposal

Once sediments are dredged from thewaterway, they are called dredged material.

Sediments may be reused or reintroduced

Loading & Unloading Cargo.

◦ Spillages & Leaks

◦ Exhaust emissions from docks side vehicles

◦ Noise

◦ Onshore infrastructure (roads & railways)

Shipboard Generators

◦ Provide electricity onboard – create air & noise pollution