Development of HNS-MAP for Systematic Management of Marine Hazardous and Noxious Substance Discharges

Abstract

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) discharged from marine industrial facilities can pose serious threats to human health, marine ecosystem, and coastal environments, which makes effective management essential. Since 2021, the Korean government has been conducting an R&D project titled “Development of Technology for Impact Assessment and Management of HNS discharged from Marine Industrial Facilities,” during which this study was conducted. South Korea has historically lacked a systematic framework for assessing and managing HNS emissions from marine industrial facilities. This study aims to develop a management system for HNS - termed the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Management and Assessment Platform (HNS-MAP) - to evaluate the emission characteristics and environmental impacts of HNS, as well as to support mitigation and management strategies. Key research activities included assessing the current status of HNS emissions from major marine industrial sites, collecting spatial data around five key ports and conducting field observations to build a comprehensive HNS database. Environmental impact assessments were conducted using vulnerability and composite risk evaluation methods. Additionally, short- and long-term dispersion predictions were performed, with results visualized through hydrodynamic model. HNS-MAP provides information on marine industrial facility status, marine environmental conditions, HNS behavior, and environmental impact assessments. It is expected to support policymakers and stakeholders in managing HNS more efficiently and in developing appropriate regulatory and policy measures.