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Towards a Comprehensive Evaluation of the Environmental and Health Impacts of Shipping Emissions

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Abstract

We present a new concept for marine research, applied in the EU-funded project EMERGE, “Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions” (2020–2024; https://emerge-h2020.eu/). For the first time, both the various marine and atmospheric impacts of the shipping sector have been and will be comprehensively analyzed, using a concerted modelling and measurements framework. The experimental part of the project focuses on five European geographical case studies in different ecologically vulnerable regions, and a mobile onboard case study. The EMERGE consortium has also developed a harmonised and integrated modelling framework to assess the combined impacts of shipping emissions, both (i) on the marine ecosystems and (ii) the atmospheric environment. The first results include substantial refinements of a range of models to be applied, especially those for the STEAM and OpenDrift models. In particular, the STEAM (Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model) model has been extended to allow for the effects of atmospheric and oceanographic factors on the fuel consumption and emissions of the ships. The OpenDrift model has been improved to take into account the partitioning, degradation, and volatilization of pollutants in water. The predicted emission and discharge values have been used as input for both regional scale atmospheric dispersion models, such as WRF-CMAQ (Weather Research and Forecasting—Community Multiscale Air Quality Model) and SILAM (System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric composition), and water quality and circulation models, such as OpenDrift (Open source model for the drifting of substances in the ocean) and Delft3D (oceanographic model). The case study regions are Eastern Mediterranean, Northern Adriatic Sea, the Lagoon of Aveiro, the Solent Strait and the Öresund Strait. We have also conducted a substantial part of the experimental campaigns scheduled in the project. The final assessment will include the benefits and costs of control and mitigation options affecting water quality, air pollution exposure, health impacts, climate forcing, and ecotoxicological effects and bioaccumulation of pollutants in marine biota.KeywordsShippingImpactsEnvironmental impactsHealth impactsEMERGESTEAMWRF-CMAQSILAMOpenDriftEastern MediterraneanAdriatic SeaAveiroSolent StraitÖresund Strait
Towards a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental and health impacts of shipping emissions
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Abstract
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%#  9&)9 # %& & %
:.?!KE:.#?%%>!K>I(5!E(>%)
5#%#)!%&%&I/L>%1&@)E1&
%))#)9I@) @E#&%I'>#
!(#)!((M(:
9&)J&%%&#&+')%/
 9) )  %#& ))#/L> &J& %&
%)#J#))9%)&%9
>/A &&# %& % %&  %& ." ('! :.?!K (5!
1&@)!(!((M(
1. Introduction
/#99)==)&&#%L)&>#)
%))&>)%(1J&5(&%?!
E(?!I#)=N(&?9&=5&%&
$(
5%&>#/%/(?!&> %)/)&
/%!>%>9L&&/9%>%(1J99(1 
 J  /  % 6/  / 99# & & # % )  
%J99))'&>9)%/L>
6/%%J>)99//
?%9  & #   # ) &%>  > 9 &   %&
%%%%&%EI(1 J1J1 J&)%&&#
9/%9>&%%>)%&&E# 
=I
'."&+&)9#)%/#%9)9>
 ) %% %# '#9+ )." A EI %&>
L)>)))&%)&&#&)
EI&))#%%%&)&&#
2. Methods
:&%))&&#&>##))))%#
9J/)&'/9/
%) %  & E(1J1J ?1 6? I  )  % 9%
&
'('!%E#=7=I9/9&
%   #   / #&  %& ' % 
%)>%E!5(I)%&%#&%#))
%&%)' %#  9 /9  %#)
&&)&%&)%&%
( % & %  9 )  && )   )  L>  # 
  ' % & / 9  #  %   & )
&/&# #%%EI 9'
#%/#&)%&%/%)>
5%&9/9&)
'&)('!%)%)J)#&')J)&
/9L>9%&9>#))&99#))G
99J#'&)J& 9&
%)&%
5&/ /   ## 1&@) %   @/L>%
@) @:!K5//)J)&9%&&'
&# #   )%9   /% E?%@)I ) 
1&@)%E@#=;I)#%#)))%9)>
%#&E#&>%>9!6I
(   9  ) %#  %& )  && )  % 
#)'&+/))%##)%EI))
&%)%))EI&)%#&>99EI
))
:%>&)%)%J#)))99//
&#'J>)99))9)/#)%&)))
# # )) & '%  &%% & )& 9
%   %&  J# )) ) 99 /   &  # '
% > ) 99 / %/9 / %#  % //
/&%>%
()%%%&#>9
3. Results
: %&  9   )99 ))  /#!
%& 9/ %&/  EI ) % )>#
9E#6%=IEI9)%##%)&)&
'%))#)%&/9L>&#%&
99))#)&&99'&#)%/)
&&#/%E##>/9#/)#&I
0##%&%>>/)%)99/
:)9)%+/!6#/>%
J&% 9#9 &&)) )%&#&  %&9
)%  && & 99 >% &  9>  ?% 0> ) '#> .&
J&%)>#)))%&)J&
/==N99))E'=I6/>99))
#>99/&9/)))#)&E89#=<I
'('!%%9&%&%)5&%9)
 ))) )// &#) & 
%'%&%&9>?&%#).!
'& / 9> %&  &9>  >  &&# % #G
)%/9#9>)&&#%)
'%#)))9#)$(#>'$(
%%>/)%@%9>@#%#)> )
%&:/%%))(&%919')))
%>#O'%9L>%&)%))
%)&
#'%&)%9#//%>))
$(=;'/%&#))('!%')
))E9I/E#>IEI/E>/I
"*%  E=I & ) ) % L% )% %&) L
#E"I)&)%'>))%
E%&I/9)&)")&'>/
># %&  % %&/&# ##)% & 
%)
' & #    /   &    %&  / L> # 
?%@)%)1&@)%E@#=;I%>9&#
dissolved chemical sorbed to DOC (dissolved organic carbon)
sorbed to POC (particulate organic carbon) sorbed to sediment
#%>%&))&%)%&&#>&
 # E&  )I  M   # E&  #I%& # 
1&@)?%@) % '# EI  % &' &&#% /
&9>('!%E)%>9>=<I')#/J)%#9%
68?1E689?1%I?(E?&%#(I
#9%&# :.#E:.I%'
 9  # J&% %#  &  '  / 9   
%&&%&9>&#&>9%&
Conclusions
>//>%&)&%))9%&%%'
))>/9>)9%%)#'&+&
 &&A ) )% 9 % %& %&)&&#/ 9
%&>>#%#%%)%/
'&+J&& /%/#/ & %&9
&/9>#'%)))/##
&% & /  %# )  %   %& '   
% 9% # ) /  )) & )  & ' &+ / & )
%%&>)%&/0#9>
Acknowledgements
'/)#)%&0P6==&#%#
#% ;7-<<=E."&+I'/) >P/  5&
?%5)%J!#>E?5!I&9)>%>9%)
)%
References
@#  .* Q $  $ ! E=;I 1&@) =A # )%/ ) +>
%#"@E-I&&-=-=A=<-H#%-==;
"*%''% ,,      6 '%  
= )%%##)%" &9%% 
% %   ( 'O= &AHH#H==H= <  9 9> !%
?%(>=&&
   R# ) # )% $ ( &&#D 1 ( 7 4<<F7; =
&AHH#H=<-H74<<=
=7"9%)&&#%=
# &  %&  !%& % 2% 47O19 =7 # -= -
&AHH///%HHH&H(  =7 =4 SN @9
 6% ! 6* 5 T  89#  = ?%&# % ) &>%
>9%)%%)99'&.@A'&%<7
=<&AHH#H==4H+==<
R%#   % 9 ) &&#   &59R
% 5 2% 4 %9 = =474 
&AHH///%HHH&H(=4=-=== ;;
'  "9#6 :  #= (J )) &# &&)% %%
J#99))%('#>A;4; 
89#  6* 5 > !' 69%  !6 !8 :)) ! =< )) ) 99
// #  %&   $ (   $ - 4 -
&AHH#H==4H+%&9=<==
K0('51.A))$#
K0('51A')&&#%J&)/)%&
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... The model was developed and applied within the scope of the Horizon 2020 project Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions (EMERGE). The overall goal of the project is to achieve a comprehensive assessment of the impacts from shipping to the atmosphere and to the marine environment, with focus in the European region (Kukkonen et al., 2022). Some of the results from, e.g., chemical analyses, toxicological tests and modelling were summarised by . ...
... Maritime transport is one of the important transportation sectors in Europe that enables trade and contact between all European countries, with almost 90 % of the external freight trade being seaborne (Johansson et al., 2017). The shipping activities impact both the atmospheric and marine environments, including, in particular human health, climate and marine biota (Kukkonen et al., 2021;Byrnes and Dunn, 2020). ...
... ChemicalDrift is currently used to map and quantify environmental concentrations and impact of PAHs and heavy metals stemming from the emissions from shipping in European seas (Kukkonen et al., 2022). The current study has demonstrated the highly valuable ability to separate and compare the contributions from various sources, and the observed background levels found in monitoring study suggest that other sources are also of importance. ...
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