Newly published research by the Munich Scientists reveals that ship emissions from heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel harm macrophages, which are the body’s first line of defense against harmful substances.
The team led by Professor Ralf Zimmerman found that these cells react more strongly to the pollutants compared to lung cells, which are primarily affected by the emissions.
Fine particles from the emissions have a strong effect on the development of pro-inflammatory reactions and influence fundamental biological processes, particularly the production of basic cell building blocks, such as DNA, RNA and protein, the study revealed.
These toxic effects lead to cell death, which can then lead to various diseases and disorders.
The authors of the study urged policy makers to put in place regulations that would require operators to adopt measures that would mitigate the pollution released by ship emissions to address these health concerns.
“The simplest and safest way to mitigate these adverse health effects from ship engine emissions would be to introduce efficient particle-reducing measures such as exhaust gas scrubbers and particle filters. These would precipitate the harmful fine particles from the emissions and thus reduce the adverse health effects,” Zimmerman told reporters.
