Study: Tank Cleaning in the Baltic Sea – Assessment of the Ecotoxicity of Tank cleaning effluents (2012)

Tank Cleaning in the Baltic Sea – Assessment of the Ecotoxicity of Tank cleaning effluents (2012)

Honkanen, Milja; Häkkinen, Jani;  Posti, Antti

University of Turku, Centre for Maritime Studies

This study was conducted as a part of the Chembaltic project which gathers information on chemicals transported in the Baltic Sea and the risks they present to the environment.

In this study, the environmental risks of tank cleaning waters were evaluated by conducting a literature survey and a small-scale risk assessment of five target chemicals following EU methodology laid down in the Technical Guidance Document on Risk Assessment where applicable. The target chemicals were chosen based on existing studies and projects where chemicals were ranked by their hazardousness in the aquatic environment and their shipping volumes in the Baltic Sea. The selected chemicals were nonylphenol ethoxylate (nonylphenol), phenol, sulphuric acid, styrene and xylenes.