2.3 Land-based testing
2.3.1 The test set-up including the Ballast Water Treatment Equipment should operate as described in the provided documentation during at least 5 valid replicate test cycles. Each test cycle should take place over a period of at least 5 days.
2.3.2 A land-based test cycle should include:
.1 the uptake of ballast water by pumping;
.2 the storage of ballast water for at least 5 days;
.3 treatment of ballast water within the BWMS, except in control tanks; and
.4 the discharge of ballast water by pumping.
2.3.3 Testing should occur using different water conditions sequentially as provided for in paragraphs 2.3.12 and 2.3.13.
2.3.4 The BWMS should be tested at its rated capacity or as given in paragraphs 5.1 to 5.3 of the main body of these Guidelines for each test cycle. The equipment should function to specifications during this test.
2.3.5 The analysis of treated water discharge from each test cycle should be used to determine that the average of discharge samples does not exceed the concentrations of Regulation D-2 of the Convention.
Land-based testing objectives, limitations and criteria for evaluation
2.3.6 The land-based testing serves to determine the biological efficacy of the BWMS under consideration for Type Approval. The approval testing aims to ensure replicability and comparability to other treatment equipment.
2.3.7 Any limitations imposed by the Ballast Water Management System on the testing procedure described here should be duly noted and evaluated by the Administration.
Land-based set-up
2.3.8 The test set-up for approval tests should be representative of the characteristics and arrangements of the types of ships in which the equipment is intended to be installed. The test set-up should therefore include at least the following:
.1 the complete BWMS to be tested;
.2 piping and pumping arrangements;
.3 the storage tank that simulates a ballast tank, constructed such that the water in the tank must be completely shielded from light.
2.3.9 The control and treated simulated ballast tanks should each include:
.1 a minimum capacity of 200 m3;
.2 normal internal structures, including lightening and drainage holes;
.3 standard industry practices for design, construction and surface coatings for ships; and
.4 the minimum modifications required for structural integrity on land.
2.3.10 The test set-up should be pressure-washed with tap water, dried and swept to remove loose debris, organisms and other matter before starting testing procedures, and between test cycles.
2.3.11 The test set-up will include facilities to allow sampling as described in paragraphs 2.3.20 and 2.3.21 and provisions to supply influents to the system, as specified in paragraph 2.3.12 and/or 2.3.15. The installation arrangements must conform in each case with those specified and approved under the procedure outlined in Section 8 of the main body to these Guidelines.
Land-based test design - inlet and outlet criteria
2.3.12 For any given set of' test cycles (5 replicates is considered a set) a salinity range should be chosen. Given the salinity, the test water used in the test set up described above should have dissolved and particulate content in one of the following combinations:
|
Salinity |
>32 PSU |
15-25 PSU |
>3 PSU |
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) |
>1 mg/l |
5 - 10 mg/l |
5 - 10 mg/l |
Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) |
>1 mg/l |
5 - 10 mg/l |
5 - 10 mg/l |
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) |
<5 mg/l |
>5 mg/l |
>5 mg/l |
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2.3.13 At least two sets of test cycles should be conducted, each with a different salinity range and associated dissolved and particulate content as prescribed in paragraph 2.3.12.
2.3.14 Test organisms may be either naturally occurring in the test water, or cultured species that may be added to the test water. The organism concentration should comply with paragraph 2.3.15 below.
2.3.15 The influent water should include:
.1 test organisms of greater than or equal to 50 micrometres or more in minimum dimension should be present in a total density of preferably 106 but not less than 105 individuals per cubic metre, and should consist of at least 5 species from at least 3 different phyla/divisions;
.2 test organisms greater than or equal to 10 micrometres and less than 50 micrometres in minimum dimension should be present in a total density of at least 104 individuals per millilitre, and should consist of at least 5 species from at least 3 different phyla/divisions;
.3 heterotrophic bacteria should be present in a density of at least 104 living bacteria per millilitre; and
.4 the variety of organisms in the test water should be documented according to the size classes mentioned above regardless if natural organism assemblages or cultured organisms were used to meet the density and organism variety requirements.
2.3.16 The following bacteria do not need to be added to the influent water, but should be measured at the influent and at the time of discharge:
.1 Coliform;
.2 Enterococcus group;
.3 Vibrio cholerae; and
.4 Heterotrophic bacteria.
2.3.17 If cultured test organisms are used, then it should be ensured that local applicable quarantine regulations are taken into account during culturing and discharge.
Land-based monitoring and sampling
2.3.18 Change of numbers of test organisms by treatment and during storage in the simulated ballast tank should be measured using methods described in Part 4 of the annex, paragraphs 4.5 to 4.7.
2.3.19 It should be verified that the treatment equipment performs within its specified parameters, such as power consumption and flow rate, during the test cycle.
2.3.20 Environmental parameters such as pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, TSS, DOC, POC and turbidity (NTU)2 be measured at the same time that the samples described are taken.
2.3.21 Samples during the test should be taken at the following times and locations: immediately before the treatment equipment, immediately after the treatment equipment and upon discharge.
2.3.22 The control and treatment cycles may be run simultaneously or sequentially. Control samples are to be taken in the same manner as the equipment test as prescribed in paragraph 2.3.21 and upon influent and discharge. A series of examples are included in Figure 1.
2.3.23 Facilities or arrangements for sampling should be provided to ensure representative samples of treated and control water can be taken that introduce as little adverse effects as possible on the organisms.
2.3.24 Samples described in paragraphs 2.3.21 and 2.3.22 should be collected in triplicate on each occasion.
2.3.25 Separate samples should be collected for:
.1 organisms of greater than or equal to 50 micrometres or more in minimum dimension;
.2 organisms greater than or equal to 10 micrometres and less than 50 micrometres in minimum dimension; and
.3 for heterotrophic bacteria.
2.3.26 For the comparison of organisms of greater than or equal to 50 micrometres or more in minimum dimension against the D-2 standard, at least 20 litres of influent water and 1 cubic metre of treated water, in triplicate respectively, should be collected. If samples are concentrated for enumeration, the samples should be concentrated using a sieve no greater than 50 micrometres mesh in the diagonal dimension.
2.3.27 For the evaluation of organisms greater than or equal to 10 micrometres and less than 50 micrometres in minimum dimension, at least 1 litre of influent water and at least 10 litres of treated water must be collected. If samples are concentrated for enumeration, the samples should be concentrated using a sieve no greater than 10 micrometres mesh in the diagonal dimension.
2.3.28 For the evaluation of bacteria, at least 500 millilitres of influent and treated water should be collected in sterile bottles.
2.3.29 The samples should be analysed as soon as possible after sampling, and analyzed live within 6 hours or treated in such a way so as to ensure that proper analysis can be performed.
2.3.30 The efficacy of a proposed system should be tested by means of standard scientific methodology in the form of controlled experimentation, i.e. "experiments". Specifically, the effect of the BWMS on organism concentration in ballast water should be tested by comparing treated ballast water, i.e. "treated groups", to untreated "control groups", such that:
.1 one experiment should consist of a comparison between control water and treated water. Multiple samples, but at a minimum of three, of control and treated water within a single test cycle should be taken to obtain a good statistical estimate of the conditions within the water during that experiment. Multiple samples taken during a single test cycle should not be treated as independent measures in the statistical evaluation of treatment effect, to avoid "pseudo-replication".
2.3.31 If in any test cycle the average discharge results from the control water is a concentration less than or equal to 10 times the values in Regulation D-2.1, the test cycle is invalid.
2.3.32 Statistical analysis of BWMS performance should consist of t-tests, or similar statistical tests, comparing control and treated water. The comparison between control and treated water will provide a test of unexpected mortality in the control water, indicating the effect of an uncontrolled source of mortality in the testing arrangement.
2.4 Reporting of test results
2.4.1 After approval tests have been completed, a report should be submitted to the Administration. This report should include information regarding the test design, methods of analysis and the results of these analyses.
2.4.2 The results of biological efficacy testing of the BWMS should be accepted if it is shown that the system has met the standard in Regulation D-2 in all test cycles as specified in paragraph 4.7 under land-based testing [and shipboard testing] as specified in section 2.2 of this annex.
2 NTU=Nominal Turbidity Unit
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