Marine chemist
Encyclopedia
A marine chemist is an environmental
, occupational safety
and health
professional who is involved in the study of the chemical processes and the composition of marine water bodies.
This can involve a wide range of parameters including the monitoring of dissolved inorganic chemicals and the chemistry of particulate organic matter. A major use of marine chemistry is through pollution regulation and monitoring in marine environmental protection. Non-departmental government agencies such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
use marine chemists in their monitoring of shellfish
growing waters, bathing waters, coastal and estuarine waters for the regulation and enforcement of governmental environmental policy and treaties such as the Water Framework Directive
.
A Marine Chemist is also a trained professional who is responsible for ensuring that repair and construction of marine vessels can be made in safety whenever those repairs might result in fire, explosion, or exposure to toxic vapors or chemicals. By virtue of his or her training, experience, and education, the Marine Chemist is uniquely qualified as a specialist in confined space safety and atmospheric sampling or monitoring. Marine Chemist Association
Why do we need Marine Chemist? Lets take a moment to examine that question. Basic ship design... open decks and enclosed spaces for cargoes... has remained basically unchanged for decades. Structural materials and methods have changed, but in principle, the basic design concept has been the same for centuries. Today's cargoes, however, have shifted to a greater number of toxic substances. That has added the health concern of toxicity to the existing safety concerns of fire and explosion, not just during a voyage, but even when a vessel is in a shipyard for routine maintenance and repair.
In 1963, the National Fire Protection Association National Fire Protection Association
assumed jurisdiction over the Marine Chemist program. The NFPA continues to oversee the profession which is based on the NFPA Standard 306: Standard for Control of Gas Hazards on Vessels. NFPA Marine Chemist Info
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
, occupational safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
and health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
professional who is involved in the study of the chemical processes and the composition of marine water bodies.
This can involve a wide range of parameters including the monitoring of dissolved inorganic chemicals and the chemistry of particulate organic matter. A major use of marine chemistry is through pollution regulation and monitoring in marine environmental protection. Non-departmental government agencies such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is Scotland’s environmental regulator. Its main role is to protect and improve Scotland's environment...
use marine chemists in their monitoring of shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
growing waters, bathing waters, coastal and estuarine waters for the regulation and enforcement of governmental environmental policy and treaties such as the Water Framework Directive
Water framework directive
The Water Framework Directive is a European Union directive which commits European Union member states to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies The Water Framework Directive (more formally the Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23...
.
A Marine Chemist is also a trained professional who is responsible for ensuring that repair and construction of marine vessels can be made in safety whenever those repairs might result in fire, explosion, or exposure to toxic vapors or chemicals. By virtue of his or her training, experience, and education, the Marine Chemist is uniquely qualified as a specialist in confined space safety and atmospheric sampling or monitoring. Marine Chemist Association
Why do we need Marine Chemist? Lets take a moment to examine that question. Basic ship design... open decks and enclosed spaces for cargoes... has remained basically unchanged for decades. Structural materials and methods have changed, but in principle, the basic design concept has been the same for centuries. Today's cargoes, however, have shifted to a greater number of toxic substances. That has added the health concern of toxicity to the existing safety concerns of fire and explosion, not just during a voyage, but even when a vessel is in a shipyard for routine maintenance and repair.
In 1963, the National Fire Protection Association National Fire Protection Association
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...
assumed jurisdiction over the Marine Chemist program. The NFPA continues to oversee the profession which is based on the NFPA Standard 306: Standard for Control of Gas Hazards on Vessels. NFPA Marine Chemist Info