Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
DDT dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane
LC 50 median lethal concentration
LOEC lowest observed effect concentration
M1 2-methylthio-4- t -butylamino-6-amino- s -triazine
IMO-MEPC the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Mar-
itime Organization
NOEC
no observed effect concentration
OECD
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
PCP
pentachloro phenol
PK
pyridine triphenyl boron
PNEC
predicted no effect concentration
TBT
tributyltin compounds
TCMTB
2-(thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole
TPT
triphenyltin compounds
ZnPT
bis-(1-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinethionate-O,S) zinc
1
Introduction
Preventing organisms from attaching to the hulls of ships is a crucial aspect
of ship maintenance and the effective operation of marine vessels. There has
been many developments in and wide usage of numerous antifouling paints.
The discovery that organotin compounds [especially tributyltin compounds
(TBT) and triphenyltin compounds (TPT)] effectively control the biofouling
of a wide variety of organisms led to the replacement of the cuprous-oxide-
based paints that had been used until around 1965 with these antifouling
compounds. However, it has subsequently become apparent that organotin
compounds are poorly biodegradable, and remain in the aquatic environment
for a long time. They are eventually bioaccumulated in aquatic organisms.
Moreover, they are also found to be highly toxic to aquatic organisms. These
findings clearly indicate that organotin compounds are hazardous to the
aquatic environment.
In Japan: (1) the law concerning the regulation of the examination and man-
ufacture, etc., of chemical substances prohibits the manufacture, import, and
sale of organotin compounds; and (2) notifications and other forms of ad-
ministrative guidance together with the controls on use that are voluntarily
imposed by the various organizations have served to regulate the use of these
compounds in antifouling paints. Meanwhile, (3) the Marine Environment Pro-
tection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO-MEPC)
has been exploring a world-wide prohibition of the application of organotins
as antifouling biocides. In October 2001 IMO-MEPC adopted the “International
Convention on the Control of Harmful Antifouling Systems on Ships, 2001”.
This convention resulted in a ban on the application of organotin-
based antifouling paints from 2003. Since then a number of antifouling
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