Brasilia, February 18, 2004 - 14:40 PM
International Conference adopts Ballast Water Convention

International Conference for Ship Ballast Water and Sediment Management and Control

Regulation D-2 Ballast Water Performance Standard

1. Ships conducting Ballast Water Management in accordance with this regulation shall discharge less than 10 viable organisms per cubic meters greater than or equal to 50 micrometers in minimum dimension an less than 10 viable organisms per milliliter less than 50 micrometers in minimum dimension and greater than or equal to 10 micrometers in minimum dimension; and discharge of the indicator microbes shall not exceed the specified concentrations describe in paragraph 2.

2. Indicator microbes, as human health standard, shall include:

a. Toxicogenic Vibrio cholera (01 e 0139) with less than 1 colony forming unit (cfu) per 100 milliliters or less than 1 cfu per gram (wet weight) zooplankton samples;

b. Escherichia coli less than 250 cfu per 100 milliliters;

c. Intestinal Enterococos less than 100 cfu per 100 milliliters.