As the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response Subcommittee meets in London (January 27-31, 2025), Pacific Environment has released a report, Poison in the Water: The Call to Ban Scrubber Discharge, The Health and Environmental Costs Industry Wants Us to Ignore, urging the IMO to immediately ban scrubber discharge into the marine environment.
“Scrubber discharge is poisoning our waters and marine environment,” said Kay Brown, Arctic Policy Director for Pacific Environment. “Our report underscores the destructive toxicity of scrubber discharge on the marine environment, impacting humans, wildlife and Indigenous communities’ subsistence activities. The report reveals that most ships have already recovered their initial capital costs making banning scrubber discharge feasible. It’s time to end the use of scrubbers.”
The report suggests that most ships with scrubbers have recouped their initial investment, making scrubber removal financially viable. It further argues that the environmental damage caused by scrubber discharge creates significant economic burdens for other stakeholders.
The report describes scrubber wastewater as highly toxic, significantly hotter, and up to 100,000 times more acidic than surrounding waters. It notes the presence of pollutants including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrates and nitrites, sulfates, and particulate matter.
The report emphasizes the persistence of heavy metals and PAHs in the marine environment and their potential to harm marine life. It also claims that ships using heavy fuel oil with scrubbers emit 70% more particulate matter, up to 4.5 times more black carbon, and more PAHs compared to ships using marine gas oil (MGO).
The report links exposure to toxic scrubber discharge to health risks through contaminated seafood and drinking water, dermal contact, and inhalation. It specifically mentions PAHs and their potential to cause DNA damage, endocrine disruption, developmental abnormalities, lung deficiencies, and disrupted cognitive development, noting that marine transport emissions, including scrubber-related pollution, contribute to increased carcinogenic risk.
The report raises concerns about the impact of scrubber use on Indigenous and subsistence fishing communities, citing the potential for toxic algal blooms and elevated levels of PAHs and heavy metals in marine organisms.