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Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2022) | Viewed by 14599

Special Issue Editor

School of Engineering, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Interests: ship air emissions; sustainable maritime transport; maritime logistics; maritime safety and risk analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are calling for papers for a Special Issue of the journal Sustainability entitled "Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections".  Sustainability is an Open Access journal with high visibility (indexed amongst others by Web of Science and Scopus). It has an impact factor of 2.576 (2019) and a rapid publication process.

The Special Issue focuses on the various negative externalities of shipping operations. It is well accepted that maritime transport is the key enabler of international trade, as around 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea. However, along with its significant contribution to global trade and economy, shipping activities pose significant risks to human safety and the environment. The industry is well aware of the related risks, for example in relation to the safety and health of those onboard vessels (both seafarers and passengers) as well as the risks related to the marine environment, such as oil pollution. Various local, national, and international regulations do actually exist. There has indeed been much focus both from regulators and academics, for example, on ship safety. The same is true for preventing oil spills and reducing air emissions (such as carbon dioxide, which contributes to Climate Change). There are other areas though that have not been addressed much in the academic literature. Our intention is, therefore, to gather papers from a wide spectrum, focusing also on less-studied areas.

We welcome submissions related to health and safety issues, air emissions (such as CO2, NOx, SOx, CH4, and BC), collisions between vessels and marine mammals  (e.g., whales), underwater noise (which impacts both the personnel onboard vessels and marine animals), and water pollution from slops, antifouling paints, sewage, illegal waste dumping, plastics, oil spills, and ballast water discharges.

Dr. Christos Kontovas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • maritime transportation
  • maritime risk
  • safety
  • ship air emissions
  • marine pollution
  • biofouling
  • marine plastics
  • ballast water management
  • oil spills.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5252 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Sea Pollution by Sewage from Vessels
by Žarko Koboević, Darijo Mišković, Romana Capor Hrošik and Nikša Koboević
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 263; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010263 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2928
Abstract
In this study, we analysed the sea pollution caused by sewage from vessels. The Dubrovnik aquatorium was chosen as a typical sea area that accommodates a variety of vessels in different locations. We sampled the sea at eight different coastal locations over 14 [...] Read more.
In this study, we analysed the sea pollution caused by sewage from vessels. The Dubrovnik aquatorium was chosen as a typical sea area that accommodates a variety of vessels in different locations. We sampled the sea at eight different coastal locations over 14 months and then analysed the samples to determine the presence of the indicators of fecal pollution. Simultaneous with the sampling of the sea, we recorded the number and type of vessels accommodated at the port. These data were applied in chi-square tests, which were used to determine the existence of the relationship of certain types of vessels with fecal coliform bacteria in the sea for each location. The correlation was determined between smaller vessels such as boats, yachts, megayachts, and smaller cruise ships in national navigation with bacteria at sea at the sampling locations. The results can provide an improved understanding of sea pollution due to sewage from vessels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections)
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30 pages, 9489 KiB  
Article
Local Route Planning for Collision Avoidance of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships in Compliance with COLREGs Rules
by Ho Namgung
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 198; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010198 - 25 Dec 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3919
Abstract
A maritime autonomous surface ship (MASS) ensures safety and effectiveness during navigation using its ability to prevent collisions with a nearby target ship (TS). This avoids the loss of human life and property. Therefore, collision avoidance of MASSs has been actively researched recently. [...] Read more.
A maritime autonomous surface ship (MASS) ensures safety and effectiveness during navigation using its ability to prevent collisions with a nearby target ship (TS). This avoids the loss of human life and property. Therefore, collision avoidance of MASSs has been actively researched recently. However, previous studies did not consider all factors crucial to collision avoidance in compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) Rules 5, 7, 8, and 13–17. In this study, a local route-planning algorithm that takes collision-avoidance actions in compliance with COLREGs Rules using a fuzzy inference system based on near-collision (FIS-NC), ship domain (SD), and velocity obstacle (VO) is proposed. FIS-NC is used to infer the collision risk index (CRI) and determine the time point for collision avoidance. Following this, I extended the VO using the SD to secure the minimum safe distance between the MASS and the TS when they pass each other. Unlike previous methods, the proposed algorithm can be used to perform safe and efficient navigation in terms of near-collision accidents, inferred CRI, and deviation from the course angle route by taking collision-avoidance actions in compliance with COLREGs Rules 5, 7, 8, and 13–17. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections)
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16 pages, 5206 KiB  
Article
South Baltic Oil Spill Response Project (SBOIL)—Development and Implementation of Models of Drift and Fall Trajectories of Biogenic Oil Binders
by Fokke Saathoff, Marcus Siewert, Marcin Przywarty, Mateusz Bilewski, Bartosz Muczyński, Marko Perkovic and Lucjan Gucma
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9889; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179889 - 02 Sep 2021
Viewed by 1744
Abstract
This paper presents the methodology, assumptions, and functionalities of an application developed during the realization of the project “South Baltic Oil Spill Response through Clean-up with Biogenic Oil Binders” (SBOIL). The SBOIL project is a continuation of the BioBind project, the primary goal [...] Read more.
This paper presents the methodology, assumptions, and functionalities of an application developed during the realization of the project “South Baltic Oil Spill Response through Clean-up with Biogenic Oil Binders” (SBOIL). The SBOIL project is a continuation of the BioBind project, the primary goal of which was to develop and deploy an oil recovery system designed for use in coastal waters and adverse weather conditions. The goal of the SBOIL project was to use this new technology to improve the current response capabilities for cross-border oil spills. The developed application allows for the determination of the position of an aircraft at the time of dropping the oil binders, the determination of the oil binders’ position after falling in terms of a specific aircraft’s position, the determination of the position of oil binders after a certain time in order to plan the action of recovering it from the water surface, and the determination of the time when the binders will be in their assumed position. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections)
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17 pages, 784 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Efficiency of Maritime Transport Using a Network Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) Approach: A Case Study on the Korean Coastal Ferry Market
by Joohwan Kim and Hwayoung Kim
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6094; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116094 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2343
Abstract
Safety is a key performance indicator for the sustainable management of a coastal ferry service business. An efficiency strategy that balances safety and transport performance should be considered. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relative transport efficiency of coastal ferry [...] Read more.
Safety is a key performance indicator for the sustainable management of a coastal ferry service business. An efficiency strategy that balances safety and transport performance should be considered. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relative transport efficiency of coastal ferry operators through undesirable safety-related output. Coastal ferry operators create added value through logistics activities such as cargo and passenger transport. Accordingly, this study designed a three-stage network-slacks-based measure (SBM) model that delineated production through ferry transport services such as service generation, service execution, and transport value creation. Detention records and marine accidents caused by human errors or technical faults were considered undesirable safety-related outputs. Moreover, the relative transport efficiency of 23 Korean firms that have continuously managed a coastal ferry transport business from 2015 to 2018 was analyzed. The results showed that the differentiation of transport efficiency of firms improved when applying the three-stage network SBM model compared to applying the SBM model that did not consider the internal production stage. This fact suggests that it is more desirable to apply the three-stage network SBM model proposed in this study when a more stringent comparison of transport performance is needed in terms of service quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections)
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11 pages, 820 KiB  
Article
Influence of Ships Docking System in the Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Container Ports
by Emma Díaz-Ruiz-Navamuel, Andrés Ortega Piris, Alfonso-Isidro López-Diaz, Miguel A. Gutiérrez, Manuel Andres Roiz and Jesus M. Oria Chaveli
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5051; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13095051 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
Taking into account the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases produced by ships, during navigation and maneuvering in port, a direct consequence of the increase in maritime traffic, the international community has developed a broad set of regulations to limit such emissions. [...] Read more.
Taking into account the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases produced by ships, during navigation and maneuvering in port, a direct consequence of the increase in maritime traffic, the international community has developed a broad set of regulations to limit such emissions. The installation in commercial ports of automatic mooring systems by means of vacuum suction cups, thus considerably reducing the time required to carry out ship mooring and unmooring maneuvers, is a factor that is considerably influencing the decrease in emissions of polluting gases in commercial ports with high traffic. The objective of the present work is to verify the influence of the use of the automatic mooring systems via vacuum suction cups on the emissions of polluting gases produced in the facilities destined to the traffic of container ships. To do this, two different calculation methods were used, Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental and Engineering Consultancy, to then compare the results of the two and thus obtain the reduction in emissions per twenty-foot equivalent unit in these terminals during mooring maneuvers. The paper concludes with a discussion on the values of the reductions in emissions obtained and the advantages of the installation of automatic mooring systems using vacuum suction cups in commercial ports located near population centers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maritime Transportation: Risks, Health and Environmental Protections)
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