Effective Management of Ballast Water Contaminants from Ships on Ballast Voyages from North America to Nigerian Seaports

Ihiechi C. Darlington; Donatus E. Onwuegbuchunam; Theophilus C. Nwokedi

doi:10.65773/sst.1.1.41

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Information Fusion

Article Type: Research Article

Issue: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)

Published: 26 November 2025

Pages: 25-46

How to Cite

Darlington, I. C., Onwuegbuchunam, D. E., & Nwokedi, T. C. (2025). Effective Management of Ballast Water Contaminants from Ships on Ballast Voyages from North America to Nigerian Seaports. Smart Ship Technologies, 1(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.65773/sst.1.1.41

Authors

Ihiechi C. Darlington

,

Donatus E. Onwuegbuchunam

,

Theophilus C. Nwokedi ^*

Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

Abstract

The study, Effective Management of Ballast Water Contaminants from Ships on Ballast Voyages from North America to Nigerian Seaports, investigates the environmental risks associated with ballast water discharge and proposes a framework for sustainable ballast water treatment and management in Nigeria. Using experimental research design, ballast water samples from ships arriving from North America and Nigerian coastal waters were analyzed for physicochemical properties, ion concentrations, and invasive species content. Tests conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), pH meters, conductivity, turbidity, and hardness meters revealed significant differences between both regions. Ballast waters from North America exhibited higher concentrations of algae, amoeba, chloride, mercury, iron, calcium, and selenium, while Nigerian samples contained higher levels of phytoplankton, magnesium, and chromium. The findings confirm that untreated ballast discharge from foreign vessels can alter the chemical and biological balance of Nigerian marine ecosystems, posing risks to local biodiversity and fisheries. Based on these results, a ballast water management framework was developed to ensure compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management (BWM) standards. The study recommends that Nigerian ports establish ballast water inspection and treatment infrastructure to mitigate the transfer of invasive species and contaminants, thus safeguarding marine biodiversity and supporting sustainable blue economy development.

Keywords:

ballast water management, invasive species, marine pollution, Nigerian seaports, environmental sustainability, IMO Convention

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