Dealing with Biofouling

Abstract

The current approach in the shipping industry by the use of highly toxic coating systems is harmful for our inland waterways and oceans, does not benefit the public health and is very undesirable for all aquatic organisms on our planet.
Almost every vessel today uses a toxic coating system which releases toxic compounds continually into our waterways and oceans. In this thesis a research is done to give an answer to the main question: ‘Is there an environmentally friendly and economically attractive coating for the shipping industry that deals with biofouling’.
The best approach examined by multiple criteria, is the use of a Hard, Inert Coating. Toxic compounds, like zinc anodes and copper, won’t be released into our waterways anymore. Therefore, the sediments of rivers and ports are better protected from pollution. Which will benefit the water quality and the public health.
The Hard, Inert Coating is the solution to prevent the NIS (non-indigenous species) problem. Because the vessel will be cleaned before leaving the port, no more marine organisms will be transported from their own ecosystem to another. Governments and port authorities will save a lot of money by preventing this problem.
Clean hulls will give less resistance and will save a lot of fuel consumption and improve its speed. Worldwide, the Hard, Inert Coating system could save $70.000.000.000 worldwide in one year. The sixteen largest ships in this world provide just as much pollution as 800 million cars. If you save 30 percent on fuel, it’s like you’re taking 240 million cars off the road.
As Hard, Inert Coatings are clean and do not emit harmful substances, more jobs in North- West Europe will be created. Currently, most ships go for repairs to dry docks in southern Europe and the Persian Gulf. Ruling on the use of toxic compounds are less observed here. By introducing a Hard, Inert Coating repainting is no longer required, and ships can be dry docked without any negative effects on the environment. In other words they can dry dock ”clean”. This will substantially increase the amount of work for ship repair yards in North- West Europe as owners do prefer these yards for technical and availability of service reasons.
The use of a 100% non-toxic coating to tackle the age-old problem of biofouling, will benefit the ecosystems all over the world. Different from the current situation, no more marine organisms will be polluted and killed. No more toxic chemicals will be released into the sediments of our ports, rivers and oceans. No more toxic substances will be absorbed by organisms and end up in our food chain. Our public health is continuously in danger by the fact that the toxic chemicals are released continuously day in day out.