Ballast water treatment
Treating ballast water efficiently saves money and protects the environment
The use of ballast water in ships creates problems for the environment, if not treated. The problems occur due to the delicate balance of local eco systems being affected by non-indigenous species and aquatic nuisance organisms that are introduced after travelling with ships from their start point in their ballast water.
One of the solutions to this problem is to use ozone to treat the ballast water before it is released. Due to the oxidation properties of ozone, it is able to destroy bacteria and viruses. When used to treat ballast water, ozone inactivates microorganisms such as phytoplankton and zooplankton, present in the ballast water before release, resulting in a greatly reduced number of non-indigenous species discharged into the new ecosystem. The ozone treatment also allows the ballast water to be recycled and reused.