Contaminated ballast water can destroy marine life and pose a serious threat to human health.
Maritime transport accounts for 90% of world trade. Taking into account the volume of goods that can be shipped on one vessel, it is considered to cause the least environmental damage in comparison to other modes of transportation. It does not, however, come without a cost to the environment.
In addition to crew and cargo, ships can transport invasive species, bacteria and disease through ballast water. Ballast water is taken aboard by ships from the ocean for a number of reasons: to provide greater stability in poor weather conditions or to balance the cargo load. This water is often taken on when a ship’s cargo is loaded and deposited in transit.
At any one time, a container ship can carry 100,000m2 of ballast water, containing more than 10,000 marine and aquatic plant and animal species, and as a result these can travel thousands of miles across the world. Contaminated ballast water can destroy marine life and pose a serious threat to human health. Ultraviolet (UV) is one of the most compact and effective methods of treating contaminated ballast water, eliminating the potential transfer of invasive species.
Hanovia is a world leader in UV disinfectant and chemical reduction technology. They are working with marine specialist Wärtsilä to provide a robust range of ballast water treatment systems and services, specifically designed to meet the requirements of new environmental regulations.
Related
