Denmark government considers ban on wastewater discharge from scrubbers

Denmark’s Minister of the Environment Magnus Heunicke on Friday (8 March) said he will discuss with Parliament on how the discharge of wastewater from scrubbers can be banned from its waters.

In a statement on the ministry’s website, the ministry said new figures from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency show that the discharge of scrubber water from ships is a significant source of several of the heavy metals and tar substances that pollute the marine environment. 

Ships use so-called scrubbers to clean the flue gas of sulphur, by washing the smoke and then discharging the scrubber water directly into the sea.

Heavy metals in fish and shellfish for human consumption can have serious negative effects on humans in large quantities. For example, excessive amounts of lead can affect the development of the central nervous system, including the ability to learn and remember, while cadmium can affect the function of the kidneys.

“When heavy metals and tar substances are discharged into our marine environment, they largely do not disappear and remain in constant circulation in the sea,” Heunicke said. 

“The substances accumulate on the seabed and in the ocean’s food chains, and this is deeply worrying for our marine environment and our health. We have to find a long-term solution to that.”

Photo credit: Denmark’s Ministry of the Environment
Published: 12 March 2024