In 2015, the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) in Iran started a program targeting the “greening” of the Iranian ports. A first step towards this direction was the setting up of a water quality monitoring program in harbour basins. Monitoring of water quality parameters, as a basic step in the control of port water pollution, is essential for the identification of trends in different locations. PMO opted for a continuous monitoring program with the data being transparently available online. The exercise required dedicated hardware and software.
The Shahid Rajaee and Anzali ports were selected as the first pilot cases. The selected water quality parameters for measurement and monitoring include water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH), turbidity and electrical conductivity and also biological parameters. Monitoring stations were placed in selected locations within the ports and the data is made available online. The aim is to analyse trends and study the patterns of change of different variables during different time periods. The results provide data to environment experts to identify the different sources of water pollution in harbours. Strategic plans can then be defined to target the pollution sources and to improve water quality. The results are also being used in environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies.