Search Results (15)

Efficient logistics is a key factor in the competitiveness of seaports, especially in regions such as the Baltic Sea, where ports play important roles as hubs in the European Union’s Trans-European transport network (TEN-T). However, there are a lack of comprehensive studies focusing on the logistics efficiency of Baltic Sea ports, especially those integrating technical and technological factors. This study aimed to assess changes in the logistics efficiency of 15 major ports in the Baltic Sea region between 2019 and 2023, taking into account the technological and infrastructure-related elements that influence port performance. The model developed by the authors integrates the nearest neighbour method for cluster identification, data envelopment analysis using the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (DEA-BCC) model to assess the overall technical, pure technical, and scale logistics efficiency, and spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore spatial interactions. For the DEA-BCC model, constraints were defined for each port based on inputs (number and length of berths) and outputs (cargo and container volumes for 2019–2023). The spatial autocorrelation analysis examined the relationships among the Baltic Sea ports, container volumes, and logistic efficiency values derived from the DEA model. Recognizing the sensitivity of the weight matrix in previous studies, this paper introduced an enhanced two-factor weighting matrix that incorporated geographical distance and the port connectivity index, calculated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The statistical reliability of the results was validated using z-scores and p-values. The results showed that the overall technical efficiency of the ports analysed during the period considered was 47.2%, the pure technical efficiency was 61.0%, and the average scale efficiency was around 76%, indicating that diminishing returns to scale dominated. The spatial analysis showed a strong correlation between port connectivity and efficiency, indicating that well-connected ports, such as Gdańsk and Gdynia, had a higher efficiency. The findings make a significant contribution to the understanding of the logistics efficiency of Baltic Sea ports and highlights the importance of regional cooperation, infrastructure improvements, and better connectivity strategies to improve the overall efficiency of seaports in the region. Full article

Seaports affect the environment through various functions related to cargo handling, connectivity to the sea and land transport networks, and industrial, logistics, and distribution activities. The purpose of this study was to perform a preliminary assessment of the contents of dioxins and microplastics in the bottom sediments of the Port of Gdynia. The identification of plastic particles was carried out on the basis of visual and microscopic observations, as well as spectroscopy analysis. Fragments and fibres were dominant when categorised by particle shape, while transparent, white, and black particles dominated when categorised by colour. The predominant polymer types identified polyolefins and their derivatives. These findings suggest that low-density plastics are present in seabed sediments, probably as a result of biofouling. Samples were also tested for the presence of dioxins. In the sediment surface layer, the highest concentrations were obtained for octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (5.54–962 ng/kg d.m.), which has low toxicity. The most toxic congener (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) was present in very low concentrations (0.19–0.32 ng/kg s.m.). The values of the toxicity coefficient ranged from 0.01 to 9.77 ng/kg s.m. The results showed that in the studied bottom zones in Gdynia Port, the analysed pollutants do not cause a high ecological risk and do not require permanent monitoring. Full article

The current research paper presents the results of the first regional assessment of sediment contamination by dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs)) in the south-eastern part of the Baltic Sea (Lithuanian and Polish marine areas) during the periods of 2014 and 2019–2020. In total, 143 surface and core sediment samples were taken of existing offshore dredged-soil-disposal sites in the area of the former shipyard in the Port of Gdynia (Poland), as well as in a profile from the nearshore to the deeps of the Gdansk basin, following the natural pattern of sediment migration in the region. The obtained results indicated wide variation in both the total content of the investigated compounds as well as the profiles of congeners, indicating the likely sources of their origin. Based on the obtained concentration characteristic profiles of the congeners, we determined the amount of dioxins and the likely sources of their origin in the Gdansk Basin. The profiles showed elevated contents of octa- and hepta-chlorodibenzodioxins (OCDD and HpCDD) in the sediments, while the fractions of most other toxic congeners were considerably lower. The domination of OCDF in the spectrum of the studied PCDFs suggests the possible contribution of industrial processes. The obtained results have filled the gaps in our knowledge while providing a perfect background for more detailed discussions concerning the accumulation of dioxins in surface sediments from the south-eastern part of the Baltic Sea. Full article

Pollution in the Port of Gdynia can encompass various types of substances and contaminants that affect the quality of water and sediment in this region. Ships entering and leaving the port can release pollutants such as oil, fuel, waste, and chemicals into the water. Controlling and monitoring these pollutants is a crucial part of environmental stewardship. In recent years, uncrewed units have been increasingly in use for in situ water and sediment sampling. Boat-based water sampling crews face significant safety risks at sea. Eliminating the need for a boat-based sampling crew, uncrewed units allow sampling from locations that are difficult to access by traditional sampling methods. To validate the HydroDron-1 method, water samples and bottom sediments were collected from five basins in the Port of Gdynia using the HydroDron-1 method and accredited sampling methods. The values of measured parameters were similar for both methods. Using the HydroDron-1 method at the Port of Gdynia has the potential to improve safety while reducing sampling costs and increasing data collection. The project was implemented as part of the POLNOR 2019 Call program, announced by the National Center for Research and Development (NCRD): “Marine port surveillance and observation system using mobile unmanned research units” NOR/POLNOR/MPSS/0037/2019. Full article

The paper is devoted to underlining the important role of monitoring systems in the sustainable development of seaport areas—sensitive ocean–land connections exposed to the harmful effects of multimodal transport. The study concerns the existing monitoring possibilities of the environmental factors and ship traffic near port infrastructure. The main aim of the study is presenting the example of solutions, supporting the sustainable development of port areas, related to the most dangerous ship maneuvering operations carried out near the berths. An indirect method for measuring loads on the seabed from the propeller and thruster jets during ship berthing and an experimental method for predicting the hydrodynamic forces generated on a moored Panamax-size bulk carrier by a similar vessel passing along in shallow water conditions are described in the context of their implementation in monitoring systems. The cloud-based system—installed in the ferry terminal in the Port of Gdynia and developed for monitoring the flow generated by the ship propellers during maneuvers near the berth and warning about the exceedance of allowable pressure on the quay wall—allows, after a two-year operation, to draw the conclusions related to maintenance planning and has an impact on port sustainability. The discussion presented in the paper underlines the influence of monitoring both the environmental elements and hazardous ship operations on the sustainable development of seaport areas. Full article

This paper presents a procedure for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in seawater. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used as the analytical method, preceded by analyte isolation via solid-phase extraction (SPE). Initially, the best conditions for extraction, derivatization, and GC-MS analysis were established. The need for derivatization in the determination of BPA was investigated, and for this reason, two methods of sample preparation were compared: with and without the derivatization step. The parameters of the two methods of sample preparation were compared with each other, and a more efficient method was chosen for the analysis of marine water samples. Afterwards, the validation process was carried out and the following parameters were determined: limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), linearity, precision, reproducibility, and repeatability. Finally, the results of the determination of bisphenol A in water samples collected from five harbor basins of the Port of Gdynia using an unmanned mobile research unit, HydroDron-1, were presented. The identified concentrations ranged from 0.01 µg/L to 0.03 µg/L, depending on the investigated area. Full article

Progressive climate changes and the increase in the occurrence of extreme weather phenomena indicate the need to take action to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. One of the main factors affecting climate change is the state of waters that transport heat. Oil pollution present in the water contributes to the absorption of radiation and physico-chemical changes in the sea, which has an impact on the marine ecosystem. This indicates the need to develop methods for effective oil spill detection. This study aimed to improve the methods of early detection of threats related to oil spills in the marine environment, especially when the source of oil may be invisible in the depths of the sea. Therefore, the method based on the fluorometric index is proposed, and its effectiveness for oil detection in seawater is studied. The study has answered the question of how biological activity during a whole year influences the effectiveness of oil detection by the proposed fluorometric index method. Therefore, for the calculation of the fluorometric index, the changes in the seawater fluorescence spectrum in the ultraviolet range were determined, which occurred under the influence of diffusion of some oil components in the sea. The principle of detection of oil contaminants based on the excitation-emission fluorescence spectrum is described. For the measurements, natural seawater samples used in the laboratory were exposed to a mixture of crude oil and oils commonly found in navigation. The effectiveness of oil substance detection using the fluorometric index in the biologically productive and unproductive seasons was analyzed for seawater in the vicinity of Gdynia and Gdansk ports in Poland in northern Europe. The results of excitation-emission spectra and fluorometric index indicate that the changes in the biological activity during the year do not affect the detectability of oil present in seawater for the considered oil-to-water ratio. Summarize the sensitivity analysis of the method indicates the possibility of detection of oil contamination regardless of the season. The obtained results pave the way for the construction of an underwater device to detect oil in the vicinity of such a detector. Full article

An important source of microplastics (MPs) in the Baltic Sea waters is plastic waste, which is fragmented in the natural environment. The pilot research on the identification of microplastics in the surface waters of the Port of Gdynia is presented. In this paper, microplastics of particle sizes 0.3–5 mm in harbour seawaters were investigated. Microplastics were collected from five harbour basins using an unmanned mobile research unit, HydroDron-1. Sampling of microplastics on the surface port water was conducted over four seasons. The collected plastic particles were separated by chemical oxidation and flotation in the NaCl solution (density 1.2 g/cm³). Polymer identification was carried out by visual and microscopic observations, as well as using the Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Based on tows conducted in five basins of the Port of Gdynia, in total, the concentration of microplastics identified ranged from 0.082 mg/m³ to 0.524 mg/m³, depending on the investigated basin. Four groups of microplastic shapes (fragments, films, fibres and spheres) were detected in all the investigated harbour basins. Fragments and fibres were prevalent when categorised by particle shape, whereas when categorised by colour, transparent, white and black particles were dominant. The predominant type of the identified polymers was polyolefins (PE, PP, PS) and their derivatives. Full article

The paper’s main aim is to present the impact on the city’s road traffic generated by the Port of Gdynia’s operations and propose the optimal solution for transport network development around the port. Firstly, the authors demonstrate a case study determining the impact of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) generated by port facilities on local traffic. To this end, the average travel time of cars in the network on selected measurement sections is conditioned on the varying number of HGVs generated by the port. Next, based on the data obtained from the traffic monitoring system, PTV Vissim software is used as a modelling tool to analyse and assess the impact on local traffic. Finally, considering the analysis’ results, the vulnerability of the transport network is discussed. The optimal solution for the transport network around the port’s area is proposed. The paper is an extended version of the materials presented at the XIX Maritime Traffic Engineering Conference. Full article

The aim of the article is to analyse the transport accessibility of the Tri-City seaports as well as to verify the necessity of starting the inland navigation. The proposal to develop inland navigation by creating new and developing existing waterways is supported by the idea of sustainable transport, which emphasizes how important it is to improve the efficiency of transport work and to minimize the harmful impact of transport on the environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the capability to increase the cargo capacity of the Port of Gdansk and the Port of Gdynia. The article presents the results of the operational analysis from the navigation and manoeuvring simulator Navi-Trainer Professional 5000, where scenarios that the barge from Tri-City seaports reaches the planned dry port in Zajączkowo Tczewskie have been made. This concept intends to verify the option of relieving truck traffic in the Tri-City area. Full article

From 1 March to 30 April and from 1 August to 30 September 2021, comparative studies of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were carried out in Gdynia. For intercalibration, a device was used that operates based on non-reference methodologies and without proven equivalence to the reference methodology (SEZO AM, WIRAN), and an EDM 180 analyzer (GRIMM) with certificates and approvals (US-EPA, UK-MCERTS, CN-CMA) was used. The aim of this research is to determine whether the SEZO AM device could be used in port areas for continuous PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations measurements. Two campaigns of two months allowed us to see a good agreement of the results achieved with both methods. The concordance of the results obtained from the SEZO AM and the EDM 180 methods amounted to between 78% and 94% for the PM2.5 and between 70% and 75% for the PM10. The comparison of two SEZO AM devices to a higher-class TSI OPS3330 reference in a measurement dust chamber showed a fit between 79% and 86% for the PM2.5 and between 81% and 86% for the PM10. This indicates the possibility of using this analyzer to measure the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in the port atmosphere in which they were carried out. The preliminary analysis of meteorological parameters shows that the main potential impact on the concentration of the analyzed dust fractions measured by the SEZO AM method was relative humidity. The determination of the correction factor for the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and adding an inlet external cover contributed to a two-fold reduction in the analysis error and good concordance of the results, at a level of 93% for PM2.5 and 91% for PM10, without discarding any data. Full article

State authorities may influence the development of seaports by employing the tools of national maritime policy. On the one hand, seaports contribute to the socioeconomic development of coastal regions; on the other, they have a significant impact on foreign trade turnover. The aim of this study is to identify the major factors that have influenced the development of Poland’s seaports in the context of the country’s maritime policy. The paper examines and explains the development and transitions of major Polish seaports such as Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, and Swinoujcie. In order to identify the state of the port economy the authors used public statistics and data analysis. Furthermore, they created a model of comanagement of major seaports and presented a qualitative and quantitative comparison of the development of major seaports from 2005 to 2019. It was discovered that port turnover increased, but in various ways in each of the analysed ports. The government of Poland, acting in a dual role as the coordinator of national maritime policy and the majority owner of seaports, was the most powerful decision-maker in the port economy. However initiatives to implement sustainable principles in seaports have gradually emerged through bottom-up activities of port authorities supported by local and regional authorities. Full article

Due to the increase in cargo handling in ports, and the thereby increase of trucking directly associated with them, this article examines the impact of heavy goods vehicles generated by the port facilities on the environment. The article determines what is feasible to limit the percentage increase in the number of HGVs generated by the port areas such as container terminals or mass, which will result in a significant increase in emissions in the port city. In this study, five intersections were analyzed using micro-simulation to determine exhaust emissions such as CO, NOx, VOC, and fuel consumption. The analysis was made on the example of the port city of Gdynia in Poland, using the actual data. The use of the PTV Vissim tool made it possible to obtain the result data from the simulation of ten variants with a variant representing the current state. The results indicate that increasing the number of HGVs generated by port areas by 40% will make a significant difference in exhaust emissions. The obtained results can be useful for controlling the level of environmental pollution as predictive models. Full article

The Territorial Sea Baseline (TSB) allows coastal states to define the maritime boundaries, such as: contiguous zone, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone and territorial sea. Their delimitations determine what rights (jurisdiction and sovereignty) a given coastal state is entitled to. For many years, the problem of delimiting baseline was considered in two aspects: legal (lack of clear-cut regulations and different interpretations) and measurement (lack of research tools for precise and reliable depth measurement in ultra-shallow waters). This paper aimed to define the seasonal variability of the TSB in 2018–2020. The survey was conducted in three representative waterbodies of the Republic of Poland: open sea, river mouth and exit from a large port, differing between each other in seabed shape. Baseline measurements were carried out with Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) geodetic receivers and miniature Single Beam Echo Sounders (SBES). The survey has shown that the smallest seasonal variability of TSB (1.86–3.00 m) was confirmed for the waterbody located near the Vistula Śmiała River mouth, which features steep shores. On the other hand, the greatest variability in the baseline (5.73–8.37 m) as observed in the waterbody adjacent to the public beach in Gdynia. Factors conditioning considerable changes in TSB determination were: periodically performed land reclamation works in the area and the fact that the depth of the waterbody increases slowly when moving away from the coastline. Full article

Petroleum and its related products pose a serious pollution risk to the world’s seas and require a simple, rapid detection method. This is a difficult task if the pollution is under the water surface. One common approach to oil detection is excitation-emission spectroscopy (EEMs) of seawater exposed to oil for analyzing the fluorometric index (FI_o/w) as a potential indicator of oil presence in the marine environment. In this paper, FI_o/w was determined for both natural seawater and samples of the same water, but exposed to a relatively small portion of oil. The water samples were collected from the coastal and port waters of the Gdynia region (Southern Baltic Sea) from five stations, four times at two-week intervals. FI_o/w indicates the changes between seawater sampled from the marine environment and the same seawater polluted with oil substances. Moreover, the obtained FI_o/w values do not depend on the point and time of sampling. In all cases of seawater exposed to oil, significantly higher FI_o/w values were observed than for unpolluted seawater. Moreover, the detection of oil by analyzing the value of FI_o/w is efficient if the oil-to-water weight ratio is close to or above 5 × 10⁻⁶. Full article