title: Dry bulk cargo shipping - An overlooked threat to the marine environment?
abstract: Approximately 9.5billiontonnes of goods is transported over the world oceans annually with dry bulk representing the largest cargo group. This paper aims to analyse whether the transport and associated inputs of dry bulks into the sea create a risk for the marine environment. For this purpose, we analyse the international regulatory background concerning environmental protection (MARPOL), estimate quantities and identify inputs of such cargoes into the oceans (accidental and operational), and use available information for hazard assessment. Annually, more than 2.15milliontonnes of dry bulk cargoes are likely to enter the oceans, of which 100,000tonnes are potentially harmful to the marine environment according to the definition included in draft maritime regulation. The assessment of the threat to the marine environment is hampered by a lack of available information on chemical composition, bioavailability and toxicity. Perspectives for amendments of the unsatisfying pollution prevention regulations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Unit Transport of Dangerous Goods, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.grote@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Unit Transport of Dangerous Goods, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Unit Transport of Dangerous Goods, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gräbsch
authors.affiliation: bluetox, Gartenstraße 27, 24103 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeilinger
authors.affiliation: Centre de documentation, de recherche et d'expérimentations sur les pollutions accidentelles des eaux (Cedre), Rue Alain Colas/CS 41836, 29218 Brest, Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Floch
authors.affiliation: German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Dierk-Steffen
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wahrendorf
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Unit Transport of Dangerous Goods, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Höfer
mesh_terms: D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D033161:Government Regulation; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D063967:Material Safety Data Sheets; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012767:Ships / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances
keywords: Cargo residues; Dry bulk cargo; Dumping; International regulation; Marine pollution; Maritime transport