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MERC – Membrane Filter Test Plan
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Figure 1. MERC Ballast Water Filter Evaluation System Design
Sampling Design:
The filter system will be operated for five to six hours continuously during each test trial
(Appendix 1). The duration of each test trial is dependent upon a specific filtered amount of
3000 gallons (11.4 m3). During the initial 30 minutes, the middle 30 minutes and last 30
minutes, the following samples will be collected. To quantify organisms and particles in the
ambient water, water will be collected from the sample port located just upstream of the test
filter system (but downstream of the MERC prefilter system) during each of the 3 time points.
The filter effluent shall be sampled during the same three 30-minute time periods. Water samples
will be collected for zooplankton (upstream only), phytoplankton, and bacteria. In addition,
TSS and PSD samples will be collected before and after each separate vendor filter within their
filter system.
Sample volumes plus details of the physical and biological analyses for each
sample are described below.