Ballast water sediment elemental analysis

Sediment samples from the ballast water tanks of ships calling at the port of Rijeka in the Northern Adriatic were analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) using caesium, argon and oxygen ion beams. The research was carried out in order to determine the sediment composition and relative abundance of the dominant elements. The results indicate that the sediment samples mostly consisted of compounds that originated from the deterioration of tank plates, tank coating residues and ballast operations such as clay, silt, sand and organic materials. No significant heavy metals or highly toxic elements were found. The research revealed some advantages and significant drawbacks of using XPS and SIMS for the routine analysis of sediment composition as a decision supporting tool for ballast water and sediment management. - Highlights: • No significant abundance of heavy metals was found in the sediment samples. • Tank inspection and cleaning with detected compounds are considered safe using the usual personal protective equipment. • Drawback of XPS and SIMS is a very small analysis area, especially in case of nonhomogenous sediment from the ballast tank. • XPS and SIMS could be considered as only one of the decision supporting methods for the ballast sediments management.