Measurement results on board of a cruise ship. Next to particulate matter and soot other health damaging substances are emitted when burning heavy fuel oil or marine diesel such as nitrogen dioxide or heavy metals. Also the World Health Organisation (WHO) had lately categorised diesel exhaust as carcinogenic which equals the same risk level as Asbestos. The environmentalists also referred to the German Lungs Association which recommended several times that people who are already suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma or COPD to stay away from certain parts of a cruise ship’s deck and not to inhale any exhaust gases as this may trigger acute irritations (exacerbations). We interpret this behavior and ignorance as irresponsible profiteering.” Such measures could reduce the massive pollution from cruise ships immediately and therefore limit the impact for humans, the environment and climate significantly. Despite these shocking data major parts of the cruise industry are refusing to switch to cleaner fuels and to install exhaust gas cleaning systems like they are a common standard for all land-based sources since years. Actually nobody can call this a fresh sea breeze any longer facing 200 fold higher particle concentrations on deck of a cruise ship. NABU’s CEO Leif Miller said: „Ship owners expose their passengers to high loads of health damaging pollutants. In recent months NABU had already conducted a series of air pollution measurements in several port cities and next to cruise ship terminals in Venice, Hamburg, Marseille and Barcelona. The measurements were carried out but a French TV team working for the famous TV show “Thalassa” which was broadcasted last Friday, January 20th on France 3. A journalist documented concentrations up to 200 fold above natural background levels.

Undercover air tests on the passenger deck of a European cruise ship now unveiled high loads of health damaging ultra-fine particles in the ambient air. NABU finds its criticism confirmed that cruise ships’ exhaust gases not only severely damage the environment but also harm human health.

Aida 65 extreme