The Hamburg Port Health Center: history, organisation, activities

Controlling hygiene conditions and the state of health on incoming vessels and in ports are the tasks of port health authorities. In Hamburg, the respective department (also responsible for the local airport) is combined with the research department Maritime Medicine. Both departments represent the Hamburg Port Health Center and are part of the Central Institute and Professorship of Occupational Medicine (“ZfA”). This arrangement has proven to be very effective since it connects routine control activities with research on the work related health risks of seafarers and dockers, and their minimalization. Examples are the improvement of various work conditions on board and of life saving equipment including telemedicine devices, investigations of action of toxic substances and allergic disorders caused by the transport of hazardous cargo. The recent activities of the Center are presented in detail in this paper. The Central Institute of Occupational Medicine (“ZfA”), Department Science and Health of the Free and Hanseatic Town of Hamburg, is affiliated with the Medical Faculty of Hamburg University and is a WHO Collaborating Centre on Occupational Health. An essential task of the institute is conducting of scientific and practice-oriented investigations on the relations between the health of seafarers and dockers and their work and on prevention of accidents and diseases among them. The Institute pursues its tasks in the field of research, education, consultation and care of patients as well as in training of students, physicians and scientists in the departments Clinical Occupational Medicine, Occupational Toxicology and Molecular Biology, Allergology, and Mental Stress and Strain. The Hamburg Port Health Center with its Port and Airport Health Authority and Maritime Medicine department is also part of the Institute (ZfA). The activities are presented

Chemical contamination of potable water in ship tanks

Introduction. Unpleasant odour from drinking water in newly built ships is increasingly documented by the German Port Health Authority during sanitary inspections. Chemical contaminations are assumed to originate from washed off solvents of tank coatings due to the non-maintenance of required drying periods. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of drinking water contamination by chemicals in a selected sample of vessels and to assess the usefulness of recommended control measures. Methods. The available analyses of chemicals in drinking water from container ships which were taken by the Port Health Officers of the Hamburg Port Health Center in the last three years were summarized and analysed. Each analysis was initiated due to aromatic odour. The analysis spectrum comprised 22 different volatile halogenated hydrocarbons and solvents. Results. Drinking water analyses of 21 container ships with a maximal age of one year were available. The guideline value (GV) of chemical substances in drinking water was exceeded on five different ships (23.8 %) (ship no 1: xylene 770 μg/l (GV 500 μg/l), ethyl benzene 590 μg/l (GV 300 μg/l), vinyl chloride 0.6 μg/l (GV 0.5 μg/l); ship no 2: xylene 510 μg/l, ethyl benzene 400 μg/l; ship no 3: xylene 860 μg/l; ship no 4: xylene 540 μg/l; ship no 5: benzene 1.0 μg/l (GV 1.0 μg/l)). In 70% of ships with follow-up analyses, the chemical concentrations in potable water decreased as consequence of appropriate intervention measures (complete discharge and ventilation of the tanks for at least 14 days). Conclusions. The study shows that an aromatic odour on newly built ships indicates a potential hazard to human health due to chemical solvents. In order to control possible adverse health effects to seafarer suitable codes of practice in the handling of coatings need to be observed by manufacturers. Public Health Officers, ship masters and other persons responsible for health and safety on board have to be aware of the problem and to initiate surveillance and control measures. Recommended measures include the complete emptying of potable water tanks, the accelerated drying of tank coatings by means of ventilators for at least 14-21 days and the thorough cleaning of tanks with acetic acid