Sanntidsovervåking av ballastvann med Flow Cytometry

The BallastFlow project is now at its end; however the project has been incredibly exciting and important! It is assumed that IMOs Ballast Water Convention, which instructs all ships to purify their ballast water, will enter into force during 2016/2017. The convention enters into force 12 months after 30 membership countries representing 35 % of the world?s merchant tonnage have signed the convention. Purification of ballast water will reduce the spread of alien species via ballast water. At the same time, ratification of the convention will have great economic impact on the shipping industry. They are forced to invest in ballast water treatment technologies in both existing fleet and in new ships. Knutsen OAS Shipping AS has developed a ballast water treatment system, called KBAL. During the project period KBAL has been type approved by DNV. KBAL has also been installed and tested onboard M/T Gijon Knutsen. KBAL has the capacity to purify up to 3000 m3 water/hour. The main objective for the BallastFlow project has been to make KBAL more competitive nationally and internationally. The type approval and sale of KBAL to new ships are important steps here. At the same time, the work on improving KBAL continues, and it is expected an increase in sale when the convention enters into force. Knutsen OAS Shipping will continue the work on US Coast Guard approval of KBAL. IMO type approved systems does not necessary satisfy the US Coast Guard requirements. Analysis and monitoring of purified ballast water are important for several reasons: - Port state controls need such methods for compliance control. - The treatment technology industry needs fast analysis methods for improvements and monitoring of their treatment systems. - The shipping industry needs analysis methods to know whether their discharged ballast water is in compliance with the regulations. The BallastFlow project has developed new analysis methods based on flow cytometry. This is a fast way of testing whether the ballast water is in compliance with the regulations. This is important for the further development of KBAL, but also for compliance control of KBAL onboard ships. BallastFlow has focused especially on analysis of UV-irradiated ballast water, since KBAL is based on UV-technology. Our studies have focused on developing new analysis methods, the relationship between UV-doses and viability, as well as viability over time after irradiation. As a test organism, we have used Tetraselmis suecica, which is used also the phytoplankton of choice during type approval of treatment systems. In our analysis, flow cytometry has been combined with various stains for live/dead detection. The results from this project have given completely new insight into analysis of UV-irradiated cells.

For å begrense spredning av introduserte arter med ballastvann fra skip vil det bli innført både nasjonale og internasjonale forskrifter om rensing av ballastvann. Prosjektansvarlig bedrift Knutsen O.A.S. Shipping AS utvikler et slikt renseanlegg som skal optimaliseres i prosjektet. Tidskrevende standardmetoder for analysering av ballastvann sinker produktutviklingen: F+U-partnerne vil derfor utvikle en sanntids-overvåkingsprotokoll basert på Flow Cytometry. Denne metoden som måler og teller organismer i en vannprøve i sann tid, enten i laboratorier eller med mobile systemer i felt, kan gi umiddelbar tilbakemelding om vannprøven oppfyller kravene gitt i forskriftene. Dermed representerer den en fullstendig ny løsning innen marin miljøovervåking nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Forskningsutfordringen ligger i å modifisere eksisterende og utvikle nye protokoller for å tilpasse metoden til anvendelsesbehov. Fremtidige kunder av det nye rensesystemet vil også få tilgang til den nye overvåkingsmetoden, som gir ku ndene mulighet for selvkontroll av renseresultatet og vil styrke konkurransedyktighet av produktet. I dette prosjektet vil vi koble sammen nøkkelkompetanse i forskning med behovet i det lokale næringslivet for å styrke utvikling og innovasjon i Norge. Uto ver det vil den nye sanntids-overvåkingsmetoden for ballastvann gi nasjonale og internasjonale myndigheter mulighet for umiddelbar kontroll om forskriftene overholdes. Den representerer dermed et nytt system for beslutningsstøtte og overvåking av nasjonal e og internasjonale forskrifter.