A Review of Treatment and Analysis Technologies for Ballast Water

Abstract

Ballast water is loaded into vessels instead of their cargo in order to stabilize them. Usually it is discharged at a different point from where the water was loaded. Therefore the risk of introduction of non-indigenous organisms can be caused by ballast water. The International Maritime Organization, IMO adopted the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, known as BWM Convention, in 2004 to regulate ballast water discharging. This Convention will be full ratification soon. This review summarizes the techniques to be applied for the treatment and analysis of ballast water.