Ballast Water Products

The transport of pathogens, algae and mussels in ships' ballast water has become a worldwide problem. The marine regulatory body, the International Marine Organization (IMO) based in London, under Resolution A.868 (20) has issued "Guidelines for the control and management of ships' ballast water to minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens". Under this resolution, MEPC the (Marine Environmental Protection Committee) as part of the IMO "is working towards the completion of legally binding provisions on ballast water management, together with guidelines for their uniform and effective implementation with a view to their consideration and adoption in the year 2000".

Ballast water can be successfully treated with hypochlorite either on board or in ports where on-land holding basins are installed. Generally, ballast water would be treated with hypochlorite during the loading of ballast water, although it can be treated during passage. Ballast water can be drawn from the ballast tanks and piped through a Vchlorin hypochlorite generator and returned. This methodology requires a smaller type of Vchlorin generator. However, for shorter routes or where the ballast water cannot be held for more than 24 hours, the ingoing seawater to the ballast tanks should be treated during filling operations. This requires larger hypochlorite generators of Vchlorin.