Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
an intermediate risk is excluded for the same reason that the ports were identifi ed as
high risk (previous paragraph), hence this would become an option if a source
port(s) would have a port baseline survey and/or monitoring programme for
HAOP. The option of extreme risk in this regards is also excluded since there is no
control programme for HAOP introduced in the Slovenian sea.
Further, the presence of potentially toxic algae in the blooming state (i.e., harmful
algae bloom - HAB) or/and human pathogens (i.e., indicator microbes)
5
in the
source port remain the triggering points for extreme risk. HABs as well as the
presence of human pathogens are not permanent phenomena but vary throughout
the year (e.g., Žohar-
retnik and Gubina
2002
; WGHAB
2006
; GEOHAB
2012
,
Dean Bošnjak, pers. comm.). HABs are monitored in different parts of the world
under different programmes.
6
Indicator microbe monitoring is mostly related to
the monitoring of the water quality in bathing and aquaculture areas. None of these
programmes is focussed on the dispersal of these organisms with vessels and most
programmes lack sampling stations in port environments (Žohar-
Č
Č
retnik and
Gubina
2002
; Dean Bošnjak, pers. comm.).
The occurrence data on HABs and indicator microbes was searched and
available data were located on websites of the International Oceanographic
Committee (IOC) regional HAB networks. Regarding indicator microbes, in
addition to the literature, World Health Organisation (WHO) data
7
and national
data on web pages were examined; however, there was no relevant data found
for the source ports for 2005.
According to the BWM Convention, information on the presence of, e.g., poten-
tially toxic algae in bloom state or/and human pathogens (i.e., indicator microbes)
in the source port water would need to be communicated to vessels so that they can
avoid ballast water uptake in these areas. In real conditions, if ballast water would
anyway be loaded in such conditions, this would need to be reported to the port
authorities of the ballast water recipient port.
Due to the lack of reliable data for the time and source of ballast water loading,
historical data on HABs in the source port areas were considered. The presence of HABs
in a port was simulated based on distribution maps
8
prepared by Zingone et al. (
2004
)
in the framework of the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA)
project HAB-MAP.
9
This was studied separately for ballast water source ports out-
5
i.e., indicator microbes, as a human health standard, shall include:
1. Toxicogenic
Vibrio cholerae
(O1 and O139) with less than 1 colony forming unit (cfu) per
100 ml or less than 1 cfu per 1 g (wet weight) zooplankton samples;
2.
Escherichia coli
less than 250 cfu per 100 ml;
3. Intestinal Enterococci less than 100 cfu per 100 ml.
Results reported as MPN per 100 ml.
7
http://www.who.int/csr/don/en
, last accessed January 2014.
8
i.e., limited to Mediterranean; ports outside the Mediterranean are were considered.
9
HANA, IOC Network on Harmful Algae in North Africa.
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