Assessing Pollutants in Scrubber Discharge Water from Ships

In this two-step project, Clear Seas first worked with partner Serco Canada Marine to research and document the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems, commonly known as scrubbers, to reduce sulphur emissions from ships. Building on the results of this initial work, Clear Seas conducted further research to expand the literature search and source additional data for a detailed exploration of scrubber discharge water and the pollutants it contains.

This research initiative contributes new findings to the debate on the impact of scrubber discharge water, and supports effective planning, use and regulation of scrubber systems in Canadian waters and beyond. By taking an in-depth look at the data and analytical methods used across a range of studies to support diverse conclusions on scrubber impacts, this work also identifies nuances and differences between the available assessments and brings clarity to conflicting views on the acceptability of scrubbers from an environmental standpoint.