Bilgewater management in marine vessels: a systematic literature review of marine vessel bilgewater and treatment options.
Leonard J, Ahmedullah M, Brown M, Brundin I, Fallowfield H
Invasive Species
Oil and chemical-laden water dumped from ships pollutes the same oceans that cycle nutrients into coastal ecosystems, affecting the seaweed, seagrasses, and marine plants that underpin aquatic food webs.
Ships collect a nasty mix of oil, chemicals, and microbes in their lower compartments called bilgewater. Researchers looked at 77 studies and found no consistent way to measure or treat this waste before it gets released into the ocean. Until better rules and methods are established, this pollution keeps reaching marine environments where it can harm aquatic plant life and the creatures that depend on it.
Key Findings
77 studies reviewed revealed significant variation in bilgewater composition across different vessels, locations, and conditions, making a one-size-fits-all treatment approach impractical.
Bilgewater contains hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, corrosion-associated microbes, and potentially pathogenic species, posing ecological and public health risks.
Five treatment approaches were identified (biological, electrochemical, filtration, coagulation, multi-barrier), but none is universally effective, and trace metals, non-indigenous species, and emulsified oil remain under-studied.
chevron_right Technical Summary
This review examines how polluted water that collects in the bottom of ships is managed and treated before discharge. It finds that current treatment methods vary widely and that better standards are needed to protect ocean health.
Abstract Preview
Bilgewater is a mixture of oil, water, suspended solids, and other contaminants that collects in the lower inside areas of marine vessels and its discharge into the marine environment contributes t...
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