In 2020, container ships were responsible for 32 percent of all scrubber washwater discharged worldwide. Bulk carriers and oil tankers accounted for 20 percent and 17 percent of global scrubber water discharges globally, respectively.
Scrubber washwater is a byproduct of vessel scrubbers. These are employed to remove nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and other air pollutants from exhaust gases generated by engines, usually by spraying sea water over exhaust gases. This mixture of seawater and pollutants removed from exhaust gases - called scrubber washwater - is then discharged overboard. Scrubber washwater can seriously harm marine organism.
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Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type
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ICCT. (April 29, 2021). Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 26, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/
ICCT. "Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type." Chart. April 29, 2021. Statista. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/
ICCT. (2021). Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 26, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/
ICCT. "Distribution of Scrubber Washwater Discharged by Ships Worldwide in 2020, by Ship Type." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Apr 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/
ICCT, Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/ (last visited June 26, 2025)
Distribution of scrubber washwater discharged by ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type [Graph], ICCT, April 29, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267357/distribution-of-discharged-scrubber-washwater-worldwide-by-ship-type/
