"The adoption of ship scrubbers—technology meant to clean up dirty fuel—has caused a surge in heavy metal pollution."
"In early 2020, people in port cities around the world started breathing a little easier thanks to new regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO)—the overseer of international shipping—that restricted how much sulfur oxide pollution ships could have in their exhaust. Sulfur oxides, also known as SOX gases, can trigger a rash of ill effects, including heart and lung diseases and asthma. Worldwide, sulfur pollution is linked to some 400,000 premature deaths and 14 million new childhood asthma cases each year.
Shipping companies largely complied with the IMO’s new rule. But one of the prime tools in this cleanup effort—devices known as ship scrubbers—had an unfortunate side effect. While the technology has successfully diverted boatloads of pollutants from the air, it has also sent a steady flow of heavy metals into the sea, contaminating marine life and causing millions of dollars worth of damage.
The problem wasn’t negligence or oversight, according to Erik Nøklebye, the CEO of the Swedish shipping company Wallenius Lines, but rather an example of an “imperfect innovation solution.” When the IMO issued its new regulations, says Nøklebye, shipping companies essentially had two options: switch from the default heavy fuel oil to more expensive low-sulfur fuel, or install a ship scrubber—a device that sprays ocean water onto exhaust gases before they leave the engine, capturing the harmful SOX gases as a sulfuric acid solution."
Lina Zeldovich reports for Hakai magazine September 27, 2024.
Advertisement 
