title: Environmental policy constraints for acidic exhaust gas scrubber discharges from ships.
abstract: Increasingly stringent environmental legislation on sulphur oxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels onboard ships (International Maritime Organization (IMO) Regulation 14) can be met by either refining the fuel to reduce sulphur content or by scrubbing the exhaust gases. Commonly used open loop marine scrubbers discharge warm acidic exhaust gas wash water into the sea, depressing its pH. The focus on this paper is on the physics and chemistry behind the disposal of acidic discharges in seawater. The IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 59/24/Add.1 Annex 9) requires the wash water to reach a pH greater than 6.5 at a distance of 4m from the point of discharge. We examine the engineering constraints, specifically size and number of ports, to identify the challenges of meeting regulatory compliance.
authors.affiliation: University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: h.ulpre@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ülpre
authors.affiliation: University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eames
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D012767:Ships; D013461:Sulfur Oxides / Q000032:analysis*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels; D013461:Sulfur Oxides; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Acid–alkali chemistry; Scrubber; Seawater; Turbulent jet