Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
MARINE CIRCULAR 112.2
To: ALL SHIPOWNERS, MANAGERS, MASTERS, DEPUTY REGISTRARS AND
RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS
Subject: INFORMATION ABOUT CLEANSING AGENTS AND THEIR IMPACT UPON OIL
POLLUTION PREVENTION EQUIPMENT FOR MACHINERY SPACE BILGES
1. Reference
1.1 IMO Resolution MEPC 60(33), Guidelines and Specifications for Pollution
Prevention Equipment for Machinery Space Bilges of Ships.
1.2 IMO MEPC/Circ.289, Information on Cleaning Agents for Use in Machinery
Spaces of Ships.
2. Purpose
2.1 The purpose of this Marine Circular is to provide guidance to vessel owners,
operators and managers regarding the proper operation of oil filtering equipment
approved in order to meet the requirements of Resolution MEPC 60(33) to
remove oil from oily water mixtures found in machinery space bilges when using
certain types of cleansing agents.
3. Applicability
3.1 This Marine Circular applies to Palau registered oil tankers of 150 GRT or more,
and all other ships of 400 GRT and over which must comply with pollution
prevention equipment requirements as found in Annex I of MARPOL 73/78.
4. Description of the Problem
4.1 Port State Controls have reported that some vessels are discharging harmful oil
water mixtures through the vessel’s approved oil filtering equipment, the Port
State Control has and will continue to take actions against these vessels.
4.2 This problem was first identified and addressed by the IMO in Resolution
MEPC/Circ.289. The MEPC working group discovered that the approved
equipment was not performing effectively due to the improper use of cleansing
agents, and/or the unfamiliarity of the crew with the proper operation of the oil
filtering equipment.
5. Approved Detergents
Page 1 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
5.1 Many cleansing products cause oil water emulsions, however, oil filtering
equipment will perform best when processing bilge water with a low level of oil
content which has not been emulsified. The following is a description of
detergents and their effect on the oil filtering equipment approved to process
oily water mixtures from machinery space bilges:
a. Quick-Separating Detergents (QSDs) work by penetrating between the
surface and the adhering grease and oil; any emulsion formed by the
cleansing action is quickly broken. Except for hydrocarbon solvent based
QSDs, which can have a negative impact on the performance of the 15 ppm
bilge alarm, QSDs should generally be used for cleaning machinery spaces.
b. Emulsifying detergents break up the grease and oil into fine droplets forming
a very stable emulsion which can block oil filtering equipment. Most hand
wash lotions or gels belong to this type and special care should be taken
when using these products.
c. When a QSD mixes with a small amount of emulsifying detergent, small
water droplets form which are taken up by the oil. The resulting stable
mixture will also block the oil filtering equipment.
6. Recommendations
6.1 MEPC/CIRC.289 was issued on 24 November 1994 and contains valuable
information regarding the effect of certain cleansing and oil water mixtures on
oil filtering equipment approved to process oily water from machinery space
bilges. Proper use of the attached guidelines will help prevent the discharge of
oily water mixtures which can harm the environment, and prevent the associated
sailing delays, cleanup costs, fines and court costs when a harmful discharge is
discovered by a Port State (see Attachment I).
6.2 Technical departments working for shipowners and operators should become
familiar with the attached MEPC/Circ.289 and provide guidance to the ship’s
crew regarding the manual on the vessel which describes the operating
requirements of the oil filtering equipment.
6.3 Responsible members of the engineering crew should become familiar with
MEPC/Circ.289 and the manufacturer’s manual for the oil filtering equipment.
The responsible crew members should also be given the opportunity to practice
using the equipment to become familiar with its functional requirements.
6.4 The engineering crew should also review procedures to reduce the amount of
oil which ends up in the bilge.
6.5 To avoid problems caused by oil water emulsions, the crew should use cleaning
agents recommended by the manufacturer of the oil filtering equipment.
6.6 When an emulsifying detergent is used, the facilities should have permanent
drain connections to the dirty water tank and not be allowed to drain into the
bilge.
Page 2 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
7. Contact
7.1 Any inquiries concerning the subject for this Marine Circular should be directed
to the Palau Ship Registry Administrator at [email protected]
**This Marine Circular is supersedes
the Marine Circular 112.1**
Click here or use the below QR Code
for the list of the last updated Marine
Circular
Page 3 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
ATTACHMENT 1
Information on Cleansing Agents for use in Machinery Spaces of Ships
1 OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
1.1. Research and reports from Administrations have revealed that failure of oil filtering
equipment to perform effectively is mainly caused by improper use of cleansing
agents and unfamiliarity with proper operation of the oil filtering equipment, especially
when cleansing agents, heavy fuel oil and lubricating oil form part of the oil water bilge
mixture to be filtered.
1.2. Shipowners and ship operators should ensure that an operation manual is on board,
and that the crew members are given an opportunity to study this manual and practice
with the equipment to become fully conversant with it.
1.3. It is essential for the proper use of the equipment that crew members have a good
understanding of both its working principles and its operation.
1.4. Administrations may require crew members responsible for the oil filtering equipment
to demonstrate their ability and knowledge of its operation.
1.5. The oil filtering equipment will perform best while processing bilge water with a low
level of oil content. Reducing the oil content of bilge water not only improves the
effectiveness of oil filtering equipment but also improves economy and reduces fire
hazards.
1.6. There are a number of ways to reduce the amount of oil which finds its way into the
bilge including:
• leaking oil pipes, couplings, etc. should be repaired without delay;
• water from oil tanks should be drained into a waste oil tank;
• waste oil from cleaning or other activities should be drained into a waste oil
tank;
• machinery which is likely to leak oil should be fitted with drip trays which can
be drained to a waste oil tank; and
• cleaning of floor plates, engines, etc., with oil products should be minimized.
1.7 It is important that machinery spaces be kept clean. The use of cleansing agents is
one of the primary means of achieving this, and it is realized that most cleansing
agents eventually end up in the bilge.
Page 4 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
1.8 However, many of the cleaning products cause oily-water mixtures to emulsify.
Unfortunately, these emulsions have an adverse effect on the performance of oil
filtering equipment.
1.9 Emulsions should be broken or separated before the mixture is pumped into the
filtering equipment. It should also be realized that after separation the emulsion may
reform when the mixture is stirred, for instance by a centrifugal type pump that may
be used to pump the bilge water to the oil filtering equipment.
1.10 To avoid problems caused by emulsions, use the cleansing agents which are
recommended by the manufacturer of the oil filtering equipment or which pass the
emulsion separation test described in section 3.
1.11 Different cleansing agents are used for different cleaning purposes. It is important to
read the label or product data sheet prior to selecting a cleansing agent appropriate
for the job. Where label information is inadequate to determine the effects on the
cleansing agent of the oil filtering equipment, the emulsion separation test in section
3 should be conducted before allowing the cleansing agent to drain into the bilge.
1.12 Care should be taken to avoid draining different types of cleansing agents into the
bilge at the same time. Otherwise, emulsions may be formed which may even be
permanent.
2 PROPERTIES OF CLEANING PRODUCTS
2.1 Some cleansing agents already on the market claim not to effect oil filtering equipment.
They either do not produce an emulsion, or they have the ability to break the emulsion
a short time after it is formed; these products are called Quick-Separating Detergents
(QSDs).
2.2 There are many different types of cleansing agents. The two principal types are
QSDs and emulsifying detergents.
2.3 QSDs work by penetrating between the surface and the adhering grease and oil,
and after using, any emulsion formed by the cleaning action is quickly broken down.
QSDs should generally be used for cleaning machinery spaces.
2.4 Other kinds of cleansing agents are emulsifying detergents. The grease and oil is
broken up into fine droplets which form an emulsion that can be quite stable. As most
hand washing lotions or gels belong to this type, special care should be taken when
using these products.
Page 5 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
2.5 When a QSD is mixed with only a small amount of emulsifying detergent, as for
instance a hand cleaner, small water droplets will be formed and these are likely to
be taken up by the oil. This may well result in a stable mixture looking like a
mayonnaise, which will effectively block the oil filtering equipment.
2.6 Furthermore, caution should be taken when using hydrocarbon solvent-based QSDs
since they may affect the performance of the 15ppm bilge alarm.
2.7 Most household types of cleansing agents are emulsifying detergents and should
preferably not be used in machinery spaces: not even in the smallest quantities.
However, if this is unavoidable, arrangements should be made to prevent the effluent
from draining into the bilge; for example, hand wash basins in machinery spaces
should have a permanent drain connection to a dirty water tank.
2.8 Emulsifying detergents should not be allowed to drain into the bilge or machinery
spaces.
3. EMULSION SEPARATION TEST
3.1 A simple method to check if the separation time of an emulsion is acceptable can be
carried out as follows:
• fill two bottles of approximately 0.5 liters in size about 60% full of clean fresh
water,
• add approximately 10% of oil, preferably fuel oil to both bottles,
• to one bottle only add 2%, or an amount specified by the cleansing agent
manufacturer, of the cleansing agent to be tested,
• shake both bottles well by hand for approximately one minute,
• let both bottles stand,
• the bottle without cleansing agent should show clear water underneath the
oil within a relatively short time,
• the other bottle will need more time for separation; the time needed for this
bottle is the so-called separation time which should be less than one hour.
At the end of the separation time, the mixture of this bottle should have water
with light turbidity at least over half of the height of the bottle.
3.2 The purpose of the bottle with only water and oil is to see if the oil will separate from
the water; if this should not be the case, the test is invalid because the effect of the
cleansing agent cannot be determined.
4 SAFETY ASPECTS
Page 6 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
4.1 When applying cleansing agents it should always be kept in mind that they might
contain certain chemicals which are hazardous to human health and may cause acute
or chronic intoxication. In addition, some cleansing agents are flammable liquids
although in general the flash point is rather high. Therefore, it is important to follow
the manufacturers’ instructions for its storage, application and precautions to be
taken.
4.2 Some Administrations have issued special safety regulations or guidelines with
respect to the composition and use of cleansing agents. These requirements may
deal with the storage of cleansing agents, marking of receptacles, provision of data
sheets, operating instructions and special personal protection equipment and should
be carefully observed.
4.3 For safety reasons cleansing agents used on board should:
• have a flash point above 61oC; and
• not contain Benzene, Tetrachloromethane, Tetrachloroethane, Penta
chloroethane or chemicals with a comparable toxicity.
•
4.4 When applying cleansing agents, contact with skin and respiration of vapors should
be minimized. If possible, work should be done at well-ventilated places. Never
leave receptacles open at the workplace. Extensive cleaning may require the use
of filter-type respiratory protection.
4.5 Before starting work, eyes should always be protected by chloroprene goggles. In
addition, barrier creams against skin defatting effects should be used and gloves and
protective clothing should be worn.
4.6 It is recommended not to use high pressure spray equipment to apply cleansing
agents.
Page 7 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
ATTACHMENT 2
MERC/Circ.289
ANNEX
Information of Cleansing Agents for use in
Machinery Spaces of Ships
l OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
Research and reports from Administrations have revealed that failure of oil filtering
equipment to perform effectively is mainly caused by improper use of cleansing agents
and unfamiliarity with proper operation of the oil filtering equipment, especially when
cleansing agents, heavy fuel oil and lubricating oil form part of the oily water bilge
mixture to be filtered.
1.2 Shipowners and ship operators should ensure that an operation manual is on board,
and that the crew members are given an opportunity to study this manual and
practice with the equipment to become fully conversant with it.
1.3 It is essential for the proper use of the equipment that crew members have a good
understanding of both its working principles and its operation.
Administrations may require crew members responsible for the oil filtering equipment
to demonstrate their ability and knowledge of its operation.
1.5 The oil filtering equipment will perform best while processing bilge water with a low
level of oil content. Reducing the oil content of bilge water not only improves the
effectiveness of oil filtering equipment but also improves economy and reduces fire
hazards.
1.6 There are a number of ways to reduce the amount of oil which finds its way into the
bilge: leaking oil pipes, couplings, etc. should be repaired without delay;
water from oil tanks should be drained into a waste oil tank; waste oil from cleaning
or other activities should be drained into a waste oil tank; machinery which is likely
to leak oil should be fitted with drip trays which can be drained to a waste oil tank;
and cleaning of floor plates, engines, etc., with oil products should be minimized.
It is important that machinery spaces be kept clean. The use of cleansing agents is
one of the primary means of achieving this, and it is realized that most cleansing
agents eventually end up in the bilge.
However, many of the cleaning products cause oily-water mixtures to emulsify.
Unfortunately, these emulsions have an adverse effect on the performance of oil
filtering equipment.
Page 8 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
MERC/Circ.289
ANNEX
Information of Cleansing Agents for use in Machinery Spaces of Ships
l OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
Research and reports from Administrations have revealed that failure of oil filtering equipment
to perform effectively is mainly caused by improper use of cleansing agents and unfamiliarity
with proper operation of the oil filtering equipment, especially when cleansing agents, heavy
fuel oil and lubricating oil form part of the oily water bilge mixture to be filtered.
1.2 Shipowners and ship operators should ensure that anoperation manual is on board, and that
the crew members are given an opportunity to study this manual and practice with the
equipment to become fully conversant with it.
1.3 It is essential for the proper use of the equipment that crew members have a good
understanding of both its working principles and its operation.
1.4 Administrations may require crew members responsible for the oil filtering equipment to
demonstrate their ability and knowledge of its operation.
1.5 The oil filtering equipment will perform best while processing bilge water with a low level of oil
content. Reducing the oil content of bilge water not only improves the effectiveness of oil
filtering equipment but also improves economy and reduces fire hazards.
1.6 There are a number of ways to reduce the amount of oil which finds its way into the bilge:
leakingoilpipes,couplings, etc.should.berepairedwithout delay;
water from oil tanks should be drained into a waste oil tank; waste oil from cleaning or
other activities should be drained into a waste oil tank;
machinery which is likely to leak oil should be fitted with drip trays which can be
drained to a waste oil tank; and cleaning of floor plates, engines, etc., with oil
products should be minimized.
It is important that machinery spaces be kept clean. The use of cleansing agents is
one of the primary means of achieving this, and it is realized that most cleansing
agents eventually end up in the bilge.
However, many of the cleansing products cause oily-water mixtures to emulsify.
Unfortunately, these emulsions have an adverse effect on the performance of oil
filtering equipment.
Page 9 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
MEPC/Circ.289
ANNEX
Page 2
Emulsions should be broken or separated before the mixture is pumped into the filtering
equipment. It should also be realized that after separation the emulsion may reform when
the mixture is stirred, for instance by a centrifugal type pump that may be used to pump
the bilge water to the oil filtering equipment.
1.10 To avoid problems caused by emulsions, use the cleansing agents which are
recommended by the manufacturer of the oil filtering equipment or which pass the
emulsion separation test described in section 3.
1.11 Different cleansing agents are used for different cleaning purposes. It is important to read
the label or product data sheet prior to selecting a cleansing agent appropriate for the job.
Where label information is inadequate to determine the effects on the cleansing agent of
the oil filtering equipment, the emulsion separation test in section 3 should be conducted
before allowing the cleansing agent to drain into the bilge.
1.12 Care should be taken to avoid draining different types of cleansing agents into the bilge
at the same time. Otherwise, emulsions may be formed which may even be permanent.
2 PROPERTIES OF CLEANING PRODUCTS
Some cleansing agents already on the market claim not to effect oil filtering equipment.
They either do not produce an emulsion, or they have the ability to break the emulsion a
short time after it is formed; these products are called Quick-Separating Detergents
(QSDs).
2.2 There are many different types of cleansing agents. The two principal types are QSDs and
emulsifying detergents.
2.3 QSDs work by penetrating between the surface and the adhering grease and oil, and
after using, any emulsion formed by the cleaning action is quickly broken. QSDs
should generally be used for cleaning machinery spaces.
2.4 Other kinds of cleansing agents areemulsifying detergents. The grease and oil is broken
up into fine droplets which form an emulsion that can be quite stable. As most hand
wash lotions or gels belong to this type, special care should be taken when using these
products.
2.5 When a QSD is mixed with only a small amount of emulsifyingdetergent as for instance
a hand cleaner, small water droplet will be formed, and these are likely to be taken up by
the oil. This may well result in a stable mixture looking like a mayonnaise, which will
effectively block the oil filtering equipment.
Furthermore, caution should be taken when using hydrocarbonsolvent- based QSDs since
they may affect the performance of the lSppm bilge alarm.
Page 10 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
MEPC/Circ.289
ANNEX
Page 3
Most household types of cleansing agents are emulsifying detergents and should
preferably not be used in machinery spaces: not even in the smallest quantities.
However, if this is unavoidable, arrangements should be made to prevent the effluent
from draining into the bilge; for example, hand wash basins in machinery spaces should
have a permanent drain connection to a dirty water tank.
Emulsifying detergents should not be allowed to drain into the bilge or machinery spaces.
3 EMULSION SEPARATION TEST
A simple method to check if the separation time of an emulsion is acceptable can be carried
out as follows:
▪ fill two bottles of approximately 0.5 liters in size about 60% full of clean fresh water,
▪ add approximately 10% of oil, preferably fuel oil toboth. bottles,
▪ to one bottle only add 2%, or an amount specified by the cleansing agent
manufacturer, of the cleansing agent to be tested,
• shake both bottles well by hand for approximately one minute let both bottles stand,
• the bottle without cleansing agent should show clear water underneath
the oil within a relatively short time,
• the other bottle will need more time for separation; the time needed for
this bottle is the so-called separation time which should be less than one
hour. At the end of the separation time the mixture of this bottle should
have water with light turbidity at least over half of the height of the bottle.
3.2 The purpose of the bottle with only water and oil is to see if the oil will separate from the
water; if this should not be the case, the test is invalid because the effect ot the cleansing
agent cannot be determined.
4 SAFETY ASPECTS
4.1 When applying cleansing agents, it should always be kept in mind that they might contain
certain chemicals which are hazardous to human health and may cause acute or chronic
intoxication. In addition, some cleansing agents are flammable liquids although in general
the flash point is rather high. Therefore, it is important to follow the manufacturers'
instructions for its storage, application and
Page 11 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
Europe Head Office USA Head Office
Piraeus, 18536, Greece The Woodlands, TX, 77380
5, Sachtouri Street 9595 Six Pines Drive,
6th floor Suite 8210, Office 277
T: +30 210 4293500 T: +1 832 631 6061
F: +30 210 4293505 F: +1 832 631 6001
[email protected] www.palaureg.com
MEPC/Circ.289
ANNEX
Page 4
precautions to be taken.
4.2 Some Administrations have issued special safety regulations or guidelines with respect
to the composition and use of cleansing agents. These requirements may deal with the
storage of cleansing agents, marking of receptacles, provision of data sheets, operating
instructions and special personal protection equipment and should be carefully observed.
4.3 For safety reasons cleansing agents used on board should:
have a flash point above 61°C; and not contain Benzene, Tetrachloromethane,
Tetrachloroethane, Pentachloro ethane or chemicals with a comparable toxicity.
When applying cleansing agents, contact with skin and respiration of vapors should be
minimized. If possible, work should be done at well-ventilated places. Never leave
receptacles open at the workplace. Extensive cleaning may require the use of filter-type
respiratory protection.
4.5 Before starting work, eyes should always be protected by chloroprene goggles. In addition,
barrier creams ageists skin defatting effects should be used, and gloves and protective
clothing be worn.
It is recommended not to use high pressure spray equipment to apply cleansing agents.
Page 12 of 12
Marine Circular 112.2
November 2019
Rev. 11/2019
