For reasons of cost, the final scrapping of ships and the recycling of materials has gravitated to developing countries and attracts considerable criticism regarding the working conditions of the personnel involved and the disposal of possible harmful residues in the ships. In particular, given lifespans of merchant ships in the region of 30 years, the scrapped hulls can contain substances which have long been identified as hazardous and outlawed in many parts of the works. Examples are asbestos and lead which were widely used as insulation for pipes and in paints respectively, before their risks were recognized. To counter this situation…