Água de lastro e sedimentos

Abstract

The involuntary transportation of invasive aquatic organisms and pathogens through ballast water of ships is a major threat to the conservation of marine biodiversity on the planet. And the remaining threats land-based sources of marine pollution, overexploitation of marine species and changes in the marine environment. As a result of global trade, in which merchant ships are responsible for transporting over 80% of world production marketed, it is estimated that, in his routes, ships transfer about 12 billion tons of ballast water per year. This procedure has been causing serious environmental impacts, and economic impacts and human life, because in the process of shedding and ballast water contained in this increasingly exotic aquatic species are transported, and unloaded in a new habitat, causing ecological imbalances or diseases while around the world. This paper aims to show some of the consequences of shedding water from ships in southern Brazil and in the Great Lakes (USA), containing exotic species and pathogens in aquatic habitats, where there are no natural predators, as well as damage to native species, the economy and public health as a result of these discharges. It also presents the national legislation (NORMAN 20/DPC) and international (International Convention for the Control and Management of Ballast Water and Sediments Ship).