One of the most thorough and non-destructive methods for water ballast purification involves the use of UV lamps. This is an excellent alternative to some of the more corrosive methods of purification, and ensures that the majority of bacteria and germs within the water ballast are taken care of.
How does it Work?
The intense energy from a UV lamp will scour the entire ship’s aquatic content with a powerful wavelength measuring 254 nanometres, bringing an energy source more intense than sunlight. This causes the complete destruction of germ and bacteria DNA through apoptosis, deactivating them and stopping their potentially harmful reproduction cycles. All forms of protozoa, bacteria, viruses, germs, and legionella will be destroyed by this procedure.
The UV light system will come with an easy to install setup of components, including a flange system, sleeve, lamp, power supply, and an optional wiper system. It doesn’t take an adept technical knowledge to install and then operate, and modern designs are as compact and simplified as possible.
An Automated Control
Running a ship requires the tireless effort of a crew. That being said, the modernizing nature of ships means that the human input is now becoming lessened as ships and their systems are becoming increasingly overtaken by software and artificial intelligence. This process is also applied to the running of UV lamps, which can be run by software which relies on the constant feedback of sensors investigating the biological content of ballast water.
Whenever threatening bioinvasive levels are detected, the automated UV lights will turn on and scour the water and its contents. Minimal human interaction needs to be done here, and the crew can focus on the navigation and running of other ship systems.
The Advantages of using UV Lamps
The usage of UV lights within a ship’s ballast is very popular due to several reasons. Primarily, it is a very effective and thorough system which works hard and fast. It does not cost as much as many of the other technologies, while still delivering impressive results. It does not require strict maintenance, and is simple to operate, causing a minimal hindrance to standard ship procedure.
The main concern with water ballast purification methodologies, and the issue causing the mounting pressure from the various oceanic environmentalist agencies, is the environmental impact. UV lamp technology causes no pollution at all, and ensures that a footprint is never left. It is also completely safe to handle, and ship crews will not be affected. There is no handling of toxic chemicals, nor is there any storing of additional components.
UV light systems for water ballasts have been designed with ship layouts in mind. The setup has been tailored to best accommodate the often limited space within a ship’s ballast system. The claustrophobic nature of ships must not be further worsened by a cumbersome and sizeable system, which continues to complicate crew living standards. This is something which organizations such as UMW and IMO must keep in mind when judging ships and their environmental impacts.