Anti-fouling preparations for boats
Anti-fouling preparations
are used to prevent barnacles, algae and other marine organisms from
growing on, or fouling, the hulls of ships and boats. Chemicals from
anti-fouling paints have caused serious damage to living organisms
in the sea, especially around harbours and shipyards.
The most dangerous of these
chemicals, TBT, has now been banned, but it has for example caused
hormonal disturbances in dogwhelks, making them sterile. However the
commonly used alternatives can also have undesirable effects.
What can you do?
Ask for anti-fouling paints with a low
copper content – or preferably products that do not contain any
copper at all. New and less hazardous products are being developed,
partly as a result of stricter legislation.
There are other types of
anti-fouling paints that make the surface of the hull so smooth that
it is difficult for barnacles and other organisms to settle on it.
These include paints containing silicon or teflon. Some of the
products can be combined with mechanical cleaning of the hull. Check
with your local dealer.
If a boat’s hull is cleaned
before it is too badly fouled, it is easier to keep the hull clean
for the whole boating season, and you can avoid the use of
environmentally harmful anti-fouling preparations.
Choose eco-labelled products
to clean the hull.
Waste
If you still have remains of the older
types of anti-fouling paints, you can deliver them to a dealer or to
a local collection point for hazardous waste. Remember that the use
of TBT is forbidden.
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