BALLAST WATER

A ballast water system is essential for the safe operation of a ship, but the operation
of these systems causes significant threats to the environment and local economy.

WHAT IS A BALLAST WATER SYSTEM?

A ballast water system allows a ship to pump water in and out of very large tanks to
compensate for a change in cargo load, shallow draft conditions, or weather.

 The capacity of ballast water tanks might be millions of gallons on a large

vessel. This allows vessels to carry a light or heavy load while maintaining
ideal buoyancy and handling conditions in all situations.

 A ship might discharge all ballast water tanks to pass a shallow area or
forward tanks only to raise the bow in rough open seas.
 Physical components of the system include; raw water intakes, large and
small strainers, pumps, distribution pipes, ballast water tanks, treatment
system, discharge system, and all the valves, sensors, and controls to run the
equipment.

INVASIVE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER

Invasive species are a significant threat to ecosystems and the economies of the
affected areas. Researchers think that about one-third of all documented invasive
plants and animals are able to travel in the ballast water tanks of ships.

 Zebra Mussels were introduced into Lake Saint Clair in 1988 when a ship
emptied ballast water into the Great Lakes System. The Great Lakes hold
nearly twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water in a watershed
system. The non-native mussels eliminated native varieties once used by
industry and have caused an estimated 7 billion dollars (US) in damage by
encrusting or clogging underwater equipment essential to industrial and
recreational activities.

 Sea Lamprey and Spiny Water Fleas are organisms which feed off of host fish
or compete with young fish for food. Many species of fish impacted by these
invasive species have significant commercial or sporting value. These
animals, and others, can live in fresh or salt water and may spread into inland
waterways from saline ports and harbors.

 Plants can also travel long distances in ballast water. Eurasian Milfoil is a
surface plant which can clog equipment and deter recreation where it forms
thick mats. Eurasian Milfoil was introduced to the United States in the 1940s.
Because the plant can produce large colonies from only one small fragment it
is likely the plant was introduced in the ballast water of a ship.

RESOLVING BALLAST WATER ISSUES

For years amateurs and professional researchers have experimented with a huge
array of weapons to combat invasive species in a ship’s ballast water. Most of the
difficulty is due to the fact that huge volumes of water must be treated in a
reasonably short period of time. Many land-based systems for treating public
supplies takes many hours or days to pass water through their treatment systems.

A ship, on the other hand, must be able to discharge ballast water as quickly as
cargo is loaded. In emergency situations, ballast tanks need to empty as quickly as
possible. A quick pass through most ballast water treatment systems is not enough
to kill all the organisms that may be present.

BALLAST WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS AND SHORTCOMINGS

 No Discharge or Ballast Exchange Rules - International, National, and

Local law governs ballast water discharge. Some areas require ballast tanks
to be sealed while others allow ballast to be exchanged. Ballast exchange
allows tanks to be filled with local waters. Sealed ballast tanks may need to be
emptied in an emergency situation and exchange is hindered by the fact that
foreign waters must be discharged in close proximity to sensitive area for
vessels to operate safely.

 Mechanical Filters – Filters which are fine enough to remove the small
immature young and eggs of invasive species clog quickly and require
constant maintenance.
 Thermal Treatment – The idea is to heat ballast water to kill any unwanted
organisms. Unfortunately heating such a huge volume of water is impractical
due to time and energy constraints.
 Other Energy Treatments – Ultraviolet, sonic, and other radiation have all
been tried but have similar problems to thermal treatment; limits on time and
energy.
 Chemical Treatments – One of the earliest and most dangerous of all the
methods used to control invasive species in ballast water. Chlorine bleach
and other toxic chemicals will kill existing organisms but the release of these
chemicals on the scale necessary to treat every ship would reach toxic levels
for all aquatic life near the discharge points.

THE FUTURE OF BALLAST WATER TREATMENT

Researchers are pursuing this difficult and financially lucrative goal at institutions
around the world. In 2011, a team announced their successful small-scale test of a
two-phase ballast treatment system which eliminates unwanted organisms and
produces sodium bicarbonate as a byproduct.

The system is undergoing full-size tests in the Great Lakes. The test for a scalable
system is expected to perform well. It is not clear how regulatory agencies around
the world will respond to the potential discharge of industrial amounts of sodium
bicarbonate into their waters. Sodium bicarbonate is a common and safe chemical in
small amounts, but studies must be conducted to assure this method is safe for long
term use.