Ship engine exhaust emissions in waters around Australia - an overview

Shipping is a major process link in the Australian economy, with 753 Mt of international exports worth $202 billion passing through Australian ports in 2008-2009. However there is limited knowledge about both the emissions from ships in coastal regions and ports in Australia and the effects of these emissions on air quality in the surrounding coastal and portside urban regions. This issue is of growing significance because of the increased regulation of land based emissions and the limited regulation of shipping emissions. These coastal and in port emissions, when advected over land cause deterioration in air quality particularly of atmospheric aerosol that affects human health. Furthermore, the coastal emissions that can be subsequently advected over land are not generally considered in Australian studies, in spite of them being much larger than in-port emissions. An overview is presented of the causes of ship exhaust emissions, their controls and regulation, and the methodologies used to estimate emissions inventory databases. It is suggested that the Australian methodology for estimating ship emissions be updated, airshed shipping emissions for all significant Australian ports and coastal shipping emissions be estimated, and the health effects assessed.