Antifouling paints
Definition of antifouling paints:
A marine paint containing poisonous ingredients which prevent or retard fouling or marine underwater growth on ship bottoms, hulls, nets, piles, etc.
This is the common definition for antifouling paints, other definitions can be discussed in the article
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Notes
Previous antifouling chemicals contained tributyltin (TBT) that was banned in 2001 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO, Antifouling Convention). Tributyltin paint was widely used in the 1970s and 1980s as a highly efficient biocide in antifouling paints for ship and boat hulls. TBT was also used as a biocide in a range of other applications including refrigeration systems, wood pulp, leather processing, wood preservation processes and textile treatments. Ecotoxicologists discovered already in the 1970s strong endocrine disrupting effects on growth, development and reproduction (imposex in sensitive species groups such as oysters, neogastropod snails (dogwhelk) and mud snails. TBT typically has a half-life of 1–5 years in well-oxygenated surficial sediments, but TBT accumulated in fine-grained anoxic marine sediments persists over several decades. Despite observations of reduced TBT concentrations in many marine sediments over the recent decades, contaminant hotspots are still prevalent worldwide close to shipyards, in fishery harbors and in marinas[1].
Today, antifouling chemicals often contain substitute compounds such as copper. Paint manufacturers are constantly investigating the possibility of introducing improved and advanced antifouling materials, the formulas of which are usually kept secret by the blenders or manufacturers[2].
Novel erodible antifouling paints are based on biodegradable polymers that are not toxic to marine environments[3].
Antifouling can also be achieved by special surface structures on ship hulls.
Related articles
- TBT
- TBT and Imposex
- TBT and intersex in periwinkles
- Coastal pollution and impacts
- Endocrine disrupting compounds in the coastal environment
References
- ↑ Beyer, J., Song, Y., Tollefsen, K.E., Berge, J.A., Tveiten, L., Helland, A. Oxnevad, S and Schoyen, M. 2022. The ecotoxicology of marine tributyltin (TBT) hotspots: A review. Marine Environmental Research 179, 105689
- ↑ Sullivan P (ed.), 1999. Eric Sullivan's encyclopaedic dictionary. 6th edition. LPP Reference Publishing.
- ↑ Fay, F., Gouessan, M., Linossier, I. and Rehel, K. 2019. Additives for efficient biodegradable antifouling paints. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 20, 361
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