The developed ballast water monitor is based on two well-known and robust technologies - light scattering and fluorescence. Viable organisms are detected according to a fluorescence signal from chlorophyll, which is detectable directly in the ballast water stream, and an indication of the presence of particles, including larger organisms, is provided by a laser diffraction signal related to the density of particles. Furthermore, algorithms control and manage the monitor as well as analyse incoming data in real-time, allowing the BWMS operator to assess the performance of the ballast water management system, and take immediate action in case of malfunction.
Monitoring of Ballast Water Quality
A MUDP project has developed an instrument to reliably indicate the performance of a ship's system for treating ballast water under the IMO's Ballast Water Management Convention.