Salinity and volatile organic compounds in engine room air of a sea-going vessel

Introducing polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in vessels is a viable way to accomplish zero-emission shipping. However, PEMFC performance can degrade due to intrusion of airborne contaminants via the cathode inlet. This study focuses on salt and the VOCs benzene, toluene and naphthalene specifically. Little to no data is available on their concentration inside engine rooms of sea-going vessels because on board measurements have not been conducted or reported. Especially for air salinity, experimental contamination concentrations might be significantly higher than the salt in sea air. Therefore, field-measurements were conducted on board of a ship in various weather conditions and at different locations on Western European sea routes. The average saline concentration was 4.3×10⁻³ μg/L with a maximum of 2.0×10⁻² μg/L inside the ship. The highest measured value is 4.2×10⁵ times lower than the average concentration applied in experimental literature. This suggests further degradation studies are needed to clarify the impact of lower, representative amounts of salt on PEMFCs performance. Benzene, toluene and naphthalene remained at least one order of magnitude below harmful concentrations and are therefore not expected to cause degradation in maritime fuel cells.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1080/20464177.2025.2578930
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/20464177
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2025 The Authors. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Abstract reprinted with permission of Taylor & Francis.
• Authors:
  • Broer, Annabel
  • 0009-0005-4207-8660
  • Polinder, Henk
  • 0000-0003-2212-0954
  • van Biert, Lindert
  • 0000-0003-3019-5278
• Publication Date: 2026-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 211-219
• Serial:
  • Journal of Marine Engineering & Technology
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 2046-4177
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/tmar20

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality; Contaminants; Engine rooms; Fuel cell vehicles; Ships; Sodium chloride; Volatile organic compounds
• Identifier Terms: Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC)
• Geographic Terms: Western Europe
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01998404
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 5 2026 9:14AM