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How much a cruise ship pollutes

In the last 40 years the cruise tourism industry has experienced a great increase, since the number of people who choose to spend their holidays on board them has multiplied considerably, acquiring enormous importance as an economic factor worldwide. However, behind a wonderful vacation enjoying the open sea, there are great consequences for the environment. These vessels not only emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but also generate large amounts of waste, sewage and bilge water. It could be said that a cruise is the most polluting and environmentally damaging means of transport.

If you want to know more about the problem of pollution generated by cruise ships or how much CO2 a ship emits, continue reading this interesting AgroCorrn article where we will explain how much a cruise ship pollutes in detail.

You may also be interested in: How much an airplane pollutes
Index
  1. How much a cruise ship pollutes
  2. How a cruise ship pollutes the environment
  3. What pollutes more a cruise ship or cars?
  4. What pollutes a cruise ship or an airplane more?
  5. Measures to minimize pollution from cruise ships

How much a cruise ship pollutes

It is difficult to imagine how much a tourist boat pollutes or how much CO2 a boat emits , since it depends on many factors, such as the type of fuel used, the size of the cruise ship and the distance traveled, among others. However, it is possible to know which are all the pollutants that produce this type of transport.

Cruises emit a large amount of waste, on the one hand there is wastewater , such as gray water from showers, swimming pools, washing machines, toilets, etc. These contain phosphates, chlorine, pathogenic bacteria, nutrients from soaps and detergents, among other harmful substances. Black waters are also emitted from bathrooms, these are those that contain fecal water, organic remains, paper; in short, anything that is flushed down the toilet. And, finally, within the polluting waters are bilge waters, which are those that come from engines and turbines, that is, used oils and various hydrocarbons.

In addition, within the waste emitted by cruise ships, highly toxic waste for the environment is also generated, such as heavy metals , light bulbs, batteries, benzene, xylene, PVC, acids and heavy metals from photographic material, drugs, among others, which come from all those pharmaceuticals, photographic activities, dry cleaners and many other services offered on cruise ships.

To all these residues must be added all those emissions that are produced by the combustion of the fuel , not only used for the engines, but also for the maintenance of all the electrical systems of the cruise ship. The fumes produced contain sulfides and oxides of carbon and nitrogen, such as NOx, SO2, CO or CO2 or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) and suspended particles.

How a cruise ship pollutes the environment

The environmental impact of cruises begins to occur from the consumption of raw materials to the noise emitted by the ship. Next, we will talk about all those environmental impacts that these tourist ships produce:

  • The high consumption of raw materials for the manufacture of cruise ships, in addition to all those used for cruise promotion marketing, thus reducing natural resources.
  • All those emissions of sulfides and oxides of carbon and nitrogen, such as NOx, SO2, CO or CO2 or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) and suspended particles. They alter the quality of the air , as well as the quality of the seas and oceans and, therefore, affect all the biodiversity that is inhabiting these areas.
  • Waste and sewage increase the over-fertilization of the sea and as a consequence the amount of algae increases, increasing the eutrophication process, thus producing a lack of oxygen in the water. Without leaving behind that both waste and sewage are a threat to marine species.
  • Pollution of the sea by oil affecting not only the quality of the water, but also marine species causing their death.
  • Damage to coral reefs, since many cruise routes sail very close to them, endangering the underwater life of these unique areas in terms of their richness.
  • Noise pollution from ship’s engines and propellers.
  • Impact on the ground due to the movement of masses that pile up in the same destination, as it is the typical cruise that the vast majority choose to take, for example, a cruise through the Caribbean Sea.

To learn more about these effects, we recommend you read these other articles on Marine Pollution, its causes and consequences, and Why the air is polluted .

What pollutes more a cruise ship or cars?

According to a report by Transport & Environment, a cruise ship pollutes like 100 million cars . These are truly alarming figures, which is why it is urgent to control emissions in the oceans. In addition, many of the tourist vessels use cheaper fuels, a price that is generally cheaper due to its lower quality and, therefore, they are more polluting. Yet another reason why ships are so polluting.

What pollutes a cruise ship or an airplane more?

The cruise ship is more polluting than the plane , not only because it emits a greater amount of CO2, but also because ships generate a large amount of waste that ends up in the sea, being a direct and serious threat to marine species and the quality of bodies. of water.

In this other article you will be able to know how much an airplane pollutes .

Measures to minimize pollution from cruise ships

Both governments and industry are aware of the impact that cruises have on the environment. This is precisely why the measures taken to reduce pollution from cruise ships are different :

  • The IMO (International Maritime Organization) determined as of January 1 the maximum sulfur content of the fuel used by the maritime industry at 0.5% compared to 3.5% that was admitted.
  • The cruise industry has also acquired new technologies to meet the requirements.
  • Members of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) explore the use of wind power or grounding or rechargeable fuel cells to reduce environmental impact.
  • Cruise ships are required to transfer waste to recycling plants for the waste generated. In addition to storing and transferring all the hazardous waste that is generated to their respective treatment plants.
  • Some cruise ships purify their gray waters until they are practically drinkable without danger to the ecosystem. However, the IMO allows discharges of the total gray water once 12 nautical miles are passed.
  • There is already a commitment from CLIA members to reduce their CO2 emissions.

If you want to read more articles similar to How Much a Cruise Contaminates , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .

Maria Anderson
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Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

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