Estimation of cruise ship sewage related to ship form and systems

Due to the great importance of cruise shipping in terms of tourism, it has a growing and expanding network all over the world. Thus, increasing amount of wastes has considerable harmful impacts on the seas and ecosystem. Wastes from cruise ships are classified as sewage from accommodation, galley and laundry, bilge water, solid wastes and harmful wastes. Some national and international conventions have been signed in order to minimize and disposal of these harmful impacts of wastes. Waste management systems were developed within the scope of these conventions. The most important convention is International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78). Besides, the studies of United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which limit the wastes of cruise ships and lead the way in order to develop advanced waste systems, are investigated in this master's thesis. The compound of sewage, treatment systems, the compound of sewage after treatment and dispersion into the sea, the effect of ship form for the dispersion of sewage into the sea are investigated in consideration of EPA Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report. Besides, the treatment systems are investigated and the compound of sewage after treatment are compared. It was calculated the dilution rate of waste water discharging of 4 cruise ships operating in The Mediterranean water based on the waste water concentrations of a ship that had been measured by EPA by using the dilution factor formula of EPA. The convenience of concentrations calculated was examined with regard to MARPOL Annex IV standards. Despite the fact that the discharges are realized at 12 nautical miles from coastal line, it is observed that the sewage must be treated with a proper treatment system before discharging. Keywords: Dilution Factor, Cruise Ship Sewage Treatment Systems, EPA