What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to assess and improve the disinfection of ballast water to minimize the risk of invasive species introduction into marine ecosystems.

April 25, 2026

Innovative Technology for Ballast Water Disinfection/Treatment

Key Points

The research aims to assess and improve the disinfection of ballast water to minimize the risk of invasive species introduction into marine ecosystems.
Conducted trials at the Danube Institute of National University 'Odesa Maritime Academy'
Evaluated the efficacy of a new ballast water treatment system under the BWMC standards
Collaborated with Turkish laboratories for experimental confirmation of results
Achieved an 11-fold decrease in invasive alien organisms in ballast water compared to untreated samples.
Total bacterial count in water reduced from 424 to 47 CFU/cm3 after triple treatment within 15–40 min; E. coli and enterococcus were undetected after the first 15 minutes.
Demonstrated the feasibility of scaling the treatment system for use on research vessels.

Abstract

For the first time at the national level, the article outlines and generalizes the key tasks of assessing the state of marine biocenoses and the quality of the marine environment through the implementation of an innovative ballast water management system, its testing at the Danube Institute of National University “Odesa Maritime Academy” (DINUOMA, Izmail, Ukraine), strictly adhering to the ballast water quality standard (BW) D2 of the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC, 2004) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The key object is represented by the overboard ballast water. Due to the presence of various living organisms in BW, there is a risk of their transfer between ecosystems, which may lead to the invasiveness of alien species and negative impacts on local ecosystems. Therefore, BW management is an important aspect of the ecological safety of maritime transport. The sequence of effective nodes of the current system has been established, considering the efficiency of their operation in accordance with legislative guidance on BW disinfection and treatment. In close cooperation with Turkish colleagues, experimental confirmation was obtained, involving modern ecological laboratories, of the demonstrative level of maximum neutralization of invasive alien organisms in the studied BW. On the Ukrainian side, at DINUOMA, initial successful trials of disinfection/treatment of fresh water from the Danube River, BW of the Marmara, Mediterranean, and Black seas, and waters of the Danube lakes were conducted, showing positive results. Experimentally confirmed was the level of neutralization of bioinvasions by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), which decreased 11-fold compared to untreated water in the BW of the Marmara and Mediterranean Seas. According to the indicator “total bacterial count in water (37°C),” a decrease from 424 to 47 CFU/cm3 was achieved through triple water treatment, considering only a time interval of 15–40 min; in particular, E. coli and enterococcus were not detected already at the first stage of 15-min water treatment using the specified methods of the identical experimental BW disinfection/treatment system, equipped at the laboratory base of the Faculty of Maritime, Istanbul Technical University (Tuzla, Istanbul). The principle of cooperation was achieved in terms of scaling the system for its implementation in a realistic installation form on a research vessel.

Bookmark

View Full Paper