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""'"'i-h-. rii"rersit-'r of marme
:i ecos,{3iems g,.c,l.rerl iiot jLis,,
rl) -
1. by the physico-chemica.L
.r.. char.icterisiic-q of reEnoiral
water hodies, but ajso lty tl1e
b:oqecgiaphic isolatron cf coasis b-7
oceans a:ld seas. Iicrn the tinier
marlners firnt set to s--a. their vsssels
beca:ne a ,/ector for the qiohal
ciistribution of species, both
intentronally for exarnpie food crops
and ckimestic a:rimni*q, ald
acciCentalil f or exanrple ter'.resirt;ri
-r'reeds and roclents. Introduciicns cf
alien specles [r the marlne
environment are often less o}:vtous,
b'.rt sllps have facilitated ihe
mo\rerneni of species ibl centuries. A
surrrey of alien rnarine spr.:cies in Po::t
Phili.rp Bav Victcrr;r, in I9.q!
rlocumeltr:d r 60 species ccnsrclererj
irkely tr: be ahen, ''.rhich repre,<ented
I39'" of the .<ro..r,,n marine flor.r ar:o
fauna u: the bali
,Althor-rqh sorne rrrarine aliens .r;ere
l.fio-r,m tc harre l:een irr Auslralia since
goid iu:;h times, ihe ernc.lence
sLigqesled a le-,r.r pllse ol irrrir,-;rls in
ihe latter ciecades.ithe zuth century.
OI panrcular- ccncern in t.he 19.10s -',r:ras
the airival ard rapid popuiaticn
gro./.,'th o{. a number of species,
incluclinc; the Norihern P;rcihc seastar
(.4:.lerias .lni;rensis) r.n l{obart'-s
l)ennrent Ri.,er a.nd Port Phi11lp Bai,t the
Asian kelp (tlnclaria pnnatihcla'i ,rr
scrii]reii jteln'lasmania ;md Port Phillip
B iry ;ind th,- biacl<- striped :russel
..
*q
\$,:,,) ,i,,
An international
convention for
managing ships'
ballast water to
prevent the arrival
of invasive marine
species is about to
come into force.
1 8 | cr'"rit,ty in Australia August 201 7
i;?:1*,
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$&*."1i r;; ,'j
mH%q*.fl;iil,
ffiffiriffi#
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ffi{;",'-i:S
",1rr.(.ffi
\slwisw
ffi
}W
sNw'ffi
NW
N::ttf)ra\::ttut I
) l',,
, ,;.s Y
Tiii$R
lMylilopsis sa|k-f in l)arr,vin Harbour.
Th-^ie were a-lsl concerns about the
mc\rernent oi toxic dinoi]agellates -
r.-tcrca1gae that can bloorr to cause
'1ed tides'that can lead to paralytic
shellhsh poisoni :i1 i: orr r ealL :g
rnussels einrl o1rs1erc that have fect on
tlrcse algae,
Baliast is used rn ships to provide
stabrlit.l dnd to ccmpensate for r,veiglil
clrartges Ln cargo loads, anr-i from fuej
ald water consumption. in the dzrys of
sail, rocks collected ir-om seashores
rvele cornrnorrlJ, used as ba]]ast hut,
lvlth the ullodustion of sreel-hullec,1
ships, }:;r1last tanl:.s Ior holdu:g
seair/.-Lter bailasi }:ecame the norm.
Bailast'.rvaler is lalien dboard as ships
uxloa.d, and cilscharged as ships ioad-.
\i'ii1.ir Austr'.rlia's trirding patlernsr. bulk
r:arriers that export raw materrals such
as coal. ilon ole, ori arc gas woulci
clisr,-harge ballast rn the Auslraliarl
pcr is of cali, iind container ships .x1d
'".etrx;le ca.Lrrie.rs t1-rat lmport
mamrf;rc I ur-ed goods .rvo Lrld 1 ak:e up
bar1ast prior tD dep.irture.
In tire late 1980s, Austr.ilia, t,;gether
wi1]i Canaria. rai:;ed c;oncerns on
ba]last l,rat-^r at the Interniii.ional
Mar.itime Org;l'rization (lMOJ lVlarme
En'l:r nrunent Proleclrclr Conrmrltec.
and, in 1991 ihe commillerr) adopted
tlio non-rrard;,rtory intr:rnaiir;tal
Gur<1eliner; lor preirentirLq the
trlroduction of unuianted aquatrc
or,;;,vtistn ix.rd. Irathog€rns frorn s;hips:'
b all;,rst y,rater an<1 i;e ciiment discirarges.
Conlinued rguieri,r olthe rssuer
consequ.t:r:t1y lerl the I\4IJ ic adopt the
,.. -;,rllv L..:- i.r.2 Irl.'r nati^nal
C.'n rt.lrltnn I'.r: Lh": C . n:roi anJ
ItTanirgemeni of Shipsr' Balla,st l,Ahtel
and Seclimenis ('1re Btir,,r1r4
Conrrenti,rn') on i3 Fehn.la.r=y 2004.
Tlie B\nr}{ Converntiori ircludei a
two-stacre intrcduction of maraEiement
Tr.easures: filst, up until at latest 20 i6,
ships'v','ci:ld be reqi-iu-ed to meet a
bi[iast water exchanqe "rtanclard
(ReEtlaticn D-i), then, after this, ships
vror:ld ha','e tc meei a ballast.,,vater
p-6rfo1'mance st.mdard (IiequJ aticn D .
2), ReEu-lation D- i requirecl ship"r on
Augusi 201 7
internatroni:-l voy.lges to exchancle
}:allast wa[er taken up ui ports with
open oceiln \Arater with .ll elhcienr:y of
at least 95'lzi, volumetric exchange.
Regulatron D-2 requires ships to har,,e
a bailasi v,.ater tre;ltrneni syjiteril
urstalled that wili ensure that b;rllast
water d-iBcharged contams:
' I+ss h*n l0 'rLa-Lle org.-r' .srr-s p rr
crtlric metre,jreater than cr equal
tc 5C, intcruinelres Ln rntnimuln
dirrerisiori
. le;s :h.ul .1{j -/IaJ)L? orgdrt:5lr:s: F,Ft
ruliilrtre iess tha:r or equal to
10 nric:crnetres rn mmrnturn
dirnensir.;n
. rncticator microl,es concentrations
as a luman healll: sta::dard of:
- foxicoc{emc Vjbno c?ialeraless
lharl one colony-ior rnirrg mit
,-{rmi rl rr-
(.-,j 1,E- : r'r.rJu.Li. i
- Esr:hertcha cor iess tnatr 2 50 cfr-r
per- i Cil rnilrh:res
- urlesii-nai enleiocc-,cci iess thaifl
llrelr p^r -t]i:r.,-:l.re <.
As wrth J Ii\lO con. en -ons ?nt.r /-
i:rto-force of ihe B1ft'lvl Conr..ention
',vouli1 l:e 12 rnonihs ;rfter a reclt:-red
mrrriri'Lrm nurnber of llv{O ]v{erlLrer
States ratified the Conr,'ention and, fol
ihrs Conveniion, the re<luirerne.iil lvas
not l:ss than 30 Stales, tht-. combineil
rnerrchant fleeis of rr,.hicir con.-stituted
not iess th;ln 35'l,r ol *.he qross tonnage
crl tlto world .. -:crchdnt .;h^pp i'6".
Accepl;rnce of tlie conr,entlcn hry
St ,les .i.r,;.s.oil. .rn<1 lhe r-rI:.re,rlctrl
rv.r,s only rnet ur Sep'lerrher 20i6, so
ih.e ciate fnr entry-ilto-fori:e of the
conve,rntion .is 8 Se,pteinber 20 1 ?.
1T6.,.,,6','s.r, it shou]d ber nolerd ih.at
birllasl vrater dischar.oe fu rm
inL+r n rt..or.-. ,l sh;ps ,,rrriv inc :r
.A.ir.lli,r..tirl |.,Cr:lS h,r.j r'3ell rl .ll.i,)erl
since 200 1 u:der the Australian B;iilast
\4,raier lvliuragemeni Iiequrrements that
requir€ d.eep ccean i:allasi lv;,rter
exchanr4c.
lvieNrting ihe D-2 sta;rdard for ballast
\ilaler t.r,.ralm.elrt si',stilms (B\VTS) is
ch;rJ'c-q n1 hf r.r.r:,. olf,tc:,rrs
inclr"rrlinq the range of r:iqanisms to be
reildere-.d non-.nable. ihe vclun:e of
water to be he;rted, ihe vrater
Ballast water is
taken aboard as
ships unload, and
discharged as
ships load.
;,.iilrli.ill
(top) The Northern Pacific seastar (Asterias
amurensis) and (bottom) the Asian kelp
(undaria pinnatifida) arrived in Australia in
the 1990s and quickly established
themselves.
chemistry in Austra,ia I 1 I
"s
chemi:!tr-/ iutd quallt), which may
encotTipasrl sa.luritv rilnlies lrom
fiesh.'r,,rater to ful1y mar::re and high
wakrr turkJicliryl anci ihat the stand.ard is
i,r clischarge sianijard. meaninq that
otgamsra.s are rol al:le ic reqro-'/./ ilt the
tank:; cluling tire vojrage. 'I'he Il,{0
reouires that a conmiercra11..,r
cje-,.e1opecl BWTS rs approvecl by a ilag
acimini--qtration in accorC wrth 1lr,.1O
c;uiciciines ih;rt reqttir e l;i:rd,baseri
testinq .ship-boar.l trials arrd, for
s7c1.:1s -tsi r,J .t,ttivc sillliti:.lt(:e9.
appro...al of enrlronme:rta1 impact of
Ctsr:htlrqed ball.rst r.':ater b-1, tire
V. rt ittc Envii^r,ntcnl I )oLecl,cir
Committee. At the end of 2016, some
58 sy-stems had receivecl tlpe
.rpprcv;il certriication u: lrre."vith IN,{O
reguirements, 30 of .,r,rhich m;:de use oI
acii'.re sub stalrices,
'I\.eatment sy,sterr s qeiier:rl.ly
irc.iuCe a t\,"/o--qtaEe plocess: ph.r.stcal
solio-l iquid separaiion to separate
-qrispeiried solld rnaterial, incLuiLng
Iarger orgamsms fiom the lntal,e',//ater,
th+rr Ci-,uriecli.,:r .o lili -: .r..,triv.,l?
microorg alilsms.
The ph-,rsici'i soiiti*liqld sep.rri,Ltion
phase ciln e:rrploy hydrcicyclcne
s.p..rai,o,i .-r sut fdca filtr.LrL. n
:ionietimes v',rth upstream addttor: cf
cl-: e;lli c a.l. l'loccu ialts or co.ii'.;r}.:r rts to
Tt, t, ri^ tltt, . lt:,. l" ,7.,1 I. ,,
separation. Filtratii:n s-)rstems cait use
cllscs or fixe<l -ccreeii! ri.ritlt autcmatrc
b rcl-rrus .no. 11.e h, 1.,-c;c o o
systel.rl of hi<rh-r,-elocity c€ntritr rgal
rotatiojr can be r:rore effective th;rn
filir..ltion.
.l)isinlectir:l cal rrvolve p}:ysical
.1.eth. i:'. ^r thr .., ldrt c.r .r Jonei ,ltc]l
ol actrve substa.nces. Phlrslcal methods
mclude UV irr-adiation, ca\'iiation,
cleoxygenation ;rnd l:eat. lJr.,r
ir-radiatlon i,'; a'.,vi,.1eli, lisecl methoi fcr
inch.rstri;i.l and mlrilcioid -/,/itter
trrlalment. A teclu-- oiogrcal :h;Ll1cnge
fi:;r I-1-/ ap1:1:catiorr wa.s the neecl for
.,nater i:1 al rty to ena bl e {J\I' ;rene'lra.ti o-n
1f.rn-..1h ilr.'fLrll rr.r":rrr,..tl 1 p. nr
-vc"qsej diameter. Ilornrervrr, this las
b-oen ovei:come in the cie-u-eloi:rirent of
some aj-l'sienls througit efl--ctrr,e
iltiatioir of -water" pl:ior ro the
disir:iection stage , Ball.1sl v,/iitei cain
a-lso br: passed thor,rgl: the reactor
chirhq debailastinq. llirt ",,;rtlroilt the
l;oorl fo fi rr.rrio_. 10 -<.t.Lut r/ or i..n.-cn.s
that mai, har,'e regloitn ciurinc; the
r,/a,r.7age.
I-leoxygJenation cf tl-re ri,raiel ..r.rili ki11
crqanisms .r'rithin serierai .j;rys, but
there is a l-reiqhienecl risk of anaerobic
cor:rusion oi tank r,valls by sulfate-
r-^ducu:g bacteria. the iruma;r he.ritlt
risk olthe cteoxygenated tallK ne.1d
space ilhatches are opened, and the
envrronmental risk from the release cl
latge -,rr:iu;:res of deorgEenatei water-
irrto a recipient -*,rater boCy Car,rtation,
qeneratecl uitrasonicdl]y or bi. gas
r..rj e ciion, clisrultrts oi q;uiism c e1i -'l,.al-1s
5r i il ,s bce: :C.xrd I,r r. qu rr'
*t svs{
!Q I cnemisrry in Australia August 201 7
#*ffiffirffi*$y Iar*fim#m m
tw***Em{}# pr#*#ss:
pi*ysi*mE smfi$d*
HEqu*d s#ffiffi*"ffit&mm "".
aiddili,:nal. ir.eatinexl srystems
ci-o,n'nsl.reimi fcr:. tcta-l --lficacil lieat has
linitations iri the reclutrernent tor the
leth;,rl iemperamre to be rlaillained
()-v-er air extenciercl peri()i-i cf itrne and
the risks 1.haI sublethal temlieratures
cou]rl ,lnhancr.l bactcri;rl gro\ /ih.
Ulr.rrr. :l (1..:inlocLr()rt ri. r-q
oxlrli::ing bir-,clcies 1s tlte other wiiiely
used approarctr, ..vith dillererl sysiiLrmli
us;rrrqtr chloi'ini rtlcri, electr,;chlorir;rtior:,
rlilu-,lle r-li ->:irl.'. t " zou< L'- )I -. p I raie ir-
arcici and,/ol hyclrogen percxiri.e. As is
the case for: TJV rixlii'ition. chlcrrrralion
systems arcr-*,.icJe1y u.qcd lor thr:
treair:rxxlt oi r-rruntc;ipal ;rn.d rndustrial
w,1ter.i, In na'iural lviit{ilr'i, the biocidal
efft:ct is acnre;re<1 by a so,itum
trv1;c.,chlorite solt-tticn prcdrrcing
diifcr-r:n'l oxidi,sinq comi:outtds. l-i ee
ch.l.oriue. ol fi.ee a.rai]ah1e c.riilotire, i:t
present ar: an er4;i1ibri;m tnixture of
h.,pochlorcus acid anC 1:ynor;trlorite
ron-s, \^,,hich are both oxiCants, bul the
latterr is far less effectivo thax the
Ior mer. Fcr baliirst'rv.rter treatmsnt,
scdium ir:;,12cr:hlorite car be q:-onerated
electroch emically duectlir f,orn
August 201 7
sela,,4/ater or in fresi:-.lrater o:: io."r,
sdrri\ w.iiel:s, iiorn stored br:ir--.
(Jzone Ls .r siroirgi-ar oxicl;rni thar-r
'n.of 'Ll e .:' i .,tr 'le .'ctn1 o;r- ir.3:t
molecnli,Lr werghi. orgarrir: subsiorces
1o pn:clnco 1o.;,. molecularl,reighl
compound.s sucn as ;-rldeitydes and
carl:o>lylic aclcls. Ozone <1er:ompo.sos
rapid.f; ''viih a tralflife-'in pure r,,rater of
:r fer,v l-ror.rr-s, L;ui wi1.h it haLf-lit'e of
Il:L-LlI(.:.; llI -1,..,/i .nr,:'et L'iile :u f:],rCIIJl'r
i,rith orqamc rnatter,
A .lir ll...rc1 r: i.,r:r.l- ch}ot ir.r-tr.n
a:rrj. ozonation sj/sterns r,s ihr,: tbrrr.;,rtlon.
of b-y-produr:ts th.;rt can ind.u.dcr
haloqerate:c1 merthares, ityclnrci,rrbons,
arnires, acetoritriles etc. The rjsl<s of
residr:al or,icli,intr; i.n clischalge b;,i1.1irst
\",rater cainirg envL-onmental il:rm,rc1e
m llle 1e Ce .\'mLr i/.it::lS C(]ll lCOr jln
neifiralisation of rersicluai cher:i.cals
pr.ici to clischarge, ":-',rhtch i;ar be
achirrve'1, for example, l:y,iosrnq wilh
sodlLrm bisulf;ite.
An ad.ciecl ccmp|.c;llion ior the
l,.rirrl .l-r.il oi , B\-,'l S s rh.; ihe US
Co.rs;t Gu.rd has set rnore strinqent
st.rrdar.ls than the IMO cn the
W,;"=Pliirl
t::::::::-:tiii*it Ll I' r =
:.:)::;1,:.::S.t1,lrlr, I i I
illillt-] LLIN
t:erfcrmllnce ,rf a BI,IffS .lnc1 lIStrrer
ap-rrr-otil ,:rf systeins is re.',tlrecl for
ships operaiirrg m IJS waters. The l.iS
Co:rst Guard reglulations reqlile
cornpli:rnce arl. tlie llrst r:1ryd6.,1rr.,
aller 1 Janu;rry 2016 a-uc1 art. deii",eri'ior
new bui|i.s. I ilovrc:vr:r the fir:si US-i,,'pe
apcri-,rral i-rf a BirvTS w.tii not it;sue,.j until
.Dcc *mher 2{'1. li dn(l c.r:ly .'.';.. 11-,.. . .
sl,stems h:tve bo<* appr<rl'erl s tce.
Wittr entry-into-fcrce ol 1l:e B\r,'4,{
Converltion, shrps noi alea<1y 'fiteri,,vtth
a ba]];-Lst r",,ater treahrent s1*sten will be
rcqui.red 1c iio so by 2(.12 i , Er;tLinartes of
tht; r.iurrbr;r of strips needirq nttrofit
ilrl',ilS install;riiorlsi .rvor tl're ne:{ f,i,e
yedrs :ii y fiom il0tl0:" 2i .Jil'l .;\.i,rs.
Cre ca]cr:iiitir:n hers;ed. on the lor"rer
n.ittrl.'cr ma.il'l t'":lim.ile lh:rt dlcr.. ..[n
2lj0 shioyanls l'r.orlrir,urle capatirie ol
ioing'rhe rr,rork, re.sriits in ear:h. y'arC
h;i.nnr7 to rst;i1i a. system everT 1 6 days.
Tnsta.llaticn cl a B\\TS car cost u]l tc
{JS$S mii}iorL per shlp.
Qr-irle a task ...
i ltiiilar,,,",:,,..:..:::::,,*i]a;i,
John A Lewis is Principat l4arine Consultant, [5 Llnk
Serv,, "5 01, Ltd, IdsrLe]nar p. V'"tona.
Chemistry in AustYafia | 21