Bioremediation

Bioremediation is any process that uses decomposers and green plants, or their enzymes, to improve the condition of contaminated environments. Bacteria can be used to clean up oil spills in the ocean through bioremediation. Specific bacteria can be used to bioremediate specific contaminants, such as hydrocarbons, which are present in oil and gasoline.[1]

Hazardous and Noxious Substances

A hazardous and noxious substance (HNS) is “any substance other than oil which, if introduced into the marine environment, is likely to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea.”[2]

International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.^[3]

Nurdles

Pre-production plastic pellets or “nurdles” are about the size and shape of a lentil and are the building blocks of nearly all plastic products. Nurdles are made up of thermoplastics—various polymers that can be melted and then molded or extruded to form products ranging from grocery bags and soda bottles to the rigid pipes used in sewer systems. Most nurdles are clear or milky but they are also made in various colours.[4]

Rotterdam Convention<

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is an “international treaty that provides an early warning to countries on a broad range of hazardous chemicals in international trade that have been banned or severely restricted in other countries to protect human health or the environment.”[5]