Systematic Review of the Impacts of Ship Emissions in Ports and Nearby Coastal Areas

Shipping is a significant source of air pollution affecting air quality in ports and adjacent coastal areas. To understand this impact, it is essential to estimate atmospheric emissions. In this article, a systematic review of research that has estimated emissions of air pollutants such as SOx, NOx, and PM from ships in and around ports is conducted to assess their contribution to air quality. As a result, it is shown that ship emissions have a considerable impact on air quality. Among the pollutants studied, NOx is the most significant contributor, representing up to 60% of the pollutants (NOx, SOx and PM). Additionally, it is identified that the operational phase with the highest emission generation is the hoteling phase. It is also noted that container ships are the types of vessels that emit the highest amount of air pollutants.