Shipping contributes to ocean acidification
Open accessAbstract
The potential effect on surface water pH of emissions of SO X and NO X from global ship routes is assessed. The results indicate that regional pH reductions of the same order of magnitude as the CO 2 ‐driven acidification can occur in heavily trafficked waters. These findings have important consequences for ocean chemistry, since the sulfuric and nitric acids formed are strong acids in contrast to the weak carbonic acid formed by dissolution of CO 2 . Our results also provide background for discussion of expanded controls to mitigate acidification due to these shipping emissions.
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Ocean acidification from shipping is of the same order as acidification from CO2 uptake.
“Hassellöv et al. (2013) fi nd that ocean acidi fi cation from shipping is of the same order of acidi fi cation from CO2 uptake.”
From Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem (2018) · cites this paper as Hassellöv et al. (2013)
The Abstract says shipping emissions can cause pH reductions of the same order as CO₂-driven acidification in heavily trafficked waters. Section 4.3 likewise says shipping-related acidification matches CO₂-driven acidification in near-coastal seasonal conditions. The citing sentence omits those geographic and seasonal limits, making the comparison sound general. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Cites
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Cited by
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Global impacts of recent IMO regulations on marine fuel oil refining processes and ship emissions
Chu Van, T., Ramirez, J., Rainey, T., Ristovski, Z., & Brown, R. J. (2019) · Transportation Research Part D Transport and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.trd.2019.04.001 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem
Schmale, J., Arnold, S. R., Law, K. S., Thorp, T., Anenberg, S., Simpson, W. R., Mao, J., & Pratt, K. A. (2018) · Earth's Future · doi:10.1029/2018ef000952 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“Hassellöv et al. (2013) find that ocean acidification from shipping is of the same order of acidification from CO2 uptake.”
BackgroundClimate and air quality trade-offs in altering ship fuel sulfur content
Partanen, A. I., Laakso, A., Schmidt, A., Kokkola, H., Kuokkanen, T., Pietikäinen, J.-P., Kerminen, V.-M., Lehtinen, K. E. J., Laakso, L., & Korhonen, H. (2013) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-13-12059-2013 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hassellöv, I., Turner, D. R., Lauer, A., & Corbett, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Chalmers University of Technology (SE)
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- University of Delaware (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hassellöv, Ida‐Maja
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2013-06-06
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 2731-2736
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W2116254729
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 5.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion)
- Publication Database IASS (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Chalmers Publication Library (Chalmers University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Chalmers Research (Chalmers University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- NASA (NNX07AG53G)
- NOAA (NA09OAR4320075)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Maritime Transport Emissions and Efficiency
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Keywords
- ocean acidification, ship emissions, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, surface water pH, marine air pollution, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid, shipping routes, seawater chemistry, emission control
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