Several million tons of chemicals, in addition to crude oil and mineral oil products, are transported by tankers each year in the Baltic Sea. The transportation of chemicals by specialised chemical tankers or combined chemical/oil product tankers is growing worldwide, both in respect to the number of substances and the total volume transported. A diversity of chemicals are carried by chemical tankers in the Baltic Sea, including acids, bases, alcohols, ammonia, vegetable oils, biofuels, fuel additives and a large number of different hydrocarbons including benzene, styrene, xylenes, acetone, phenols etc.

To reduce the legal and illegal discharges of noxious chemicals from chemical tankers, and the associated negative effects on the marine environment, the chemical industries in the Baltic region must take full responsibility for the transport of their chemical raw material and products. It is now also the time for authorities to strengthen the regulations regarding discharges of noxious chemicals from chemical tankers. A first step should be to make it mandatory to perform a prewash procedure at the port of unloading when the tanks have contained any of the Y-categorised chemicals. A total ban to discharge residues of noxious chemicals from chemical tankers in marine protected areas should be uncontroversial and could be adopted immediately by the countries around the Baltic Sea.