FastBallast: Ballast Water Compliance Monitoring Device. Independently Certified - Rapid on-board testing of treated ballast water to ensure compliance with the IMO D-2 Regulations

FastBallast:
Ballast Water
Compliance Monitoring Device
Independently Certified - Rapid on-board testing of treated ballast water to ensure compliance with the IMO D-2 Regulations

Quick & cost-effective: Results delivered in less than 10 minutes, minimising vessel downtime and impact on port operations
Compliance made simple: Compact, portable instrument designed to be operated by a single person with no requirement for reagents
Size-Independent Results: New algorithms and sensitive detection deliver accurate counts at the regulatory threshold, independent of cell size

How does FastBallast compare with other CMDs?

Other CMDs that use active fluorescence estimate living cell concentration by assuming a fixed value for the variable fluorescence per cell (Fv/cell) — but this can vary by over 2 orders of magnitude depending on cell size across the 10–50 µm D2 range, leading to large errors.

FastBallast solves this with a patented multi-step process:

Level 1 – Rapid Screening (3 minutes):
Uses an estimated Fv/cell to identify samples that have clearly passed. If this is the case, testing ends here.
Level 2 – Accurate Cell Count (less than 10 minutes):
If the Level 1 test is ambiguous, a Level 2 test is automatically conducted. This calculates actual cell concentration based on the distribution of Fv and then infers average cell size from Fv magnitude. This improves accuracy where borderline results occur.
Level 3 – Size Check:
Ensures a few large cells aren’t hiding many smaller ones. This avoids the need for filters or retesting — saving time and hassle.
Get in touch with our experts to find out more about the unique advantages of using FastBallast for compliance testing.