The first observation of antifouling organotin compounds and booster biocides in sediments from Samsun Port area, Black Sea, Turkey

Assessing the spatiotemporal occurrence and ecological risk of antifouling biocides in a Brazilian estuary

Diuron and Irgarol are common antifouling biocides used in paints to prevent the attachment and growth of fouling organisms on ship hulls and other submerged structures. Concerns about their toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms have led to various restrictions on their use in antifouling paints worldwide. Previous studies have shown the widespread presence of these substances in port areas along the Brazilian coast, with a concentration primarily in the southern part of the country. In this study, we conducted six sampling campaigns over the course of 1 year to assess the presence and associated risks of Diuron and Irgarol in water collected from areas under the influence of the Maranhão Port Complex in the Brazilian Northeast. Our results revealed the absence of Irgarol in the study area, irrespective of the sampling season and site. In contrast, the mean concentrations of Diuron varied between 2.0 ng L-1 and 34.1 ng L-1 and were detected at least once at each sampling site. We conducted a risk assessment of Diuron levels in this area using the risk quotient (RQ) method. Our findings indicated that Diuron levels at all sampling sites during at least one campaign yielded an RQ greater than 1, with a maximum of 22.7, classifying the risk as "high" based on the proposed risk classification. This study underscores the continued concern regarding the presence of antifouling biocides in significant ports and marinas in Brazilian ports, despite international bans.

Assessing the risk of booster biocides for the marine environment: A case study at the Belgian part of the North Sea

The biofouling of submerged surfaces such as ship hulls is often prevented by using anti-fouling components in combination with booster biocides. These booster biocides enter the water column and may affect non-target organisms. Although different negative effects have been associated with the use of booster biocides, their effects on non-target organisms are often unknown. So far, the environmental risks for booster biocides have barely been quantified in the North Sea. In this work, the concentration of five commonly used booster biocides as well as tributyltin has been monitored at five dredged spoil disposal sites in the Belgian part of the North Sea and the harbour and ports of Nieuwpoort, Oostende, and Zeebrugge. Hotspots were discovered where the concentration of one or more booster biocides exceeded the predicted no-effect concentration. Tributyltin has been banned since 2008, but concentrations of 237- to 546-fold of the predicted no-effect concentration were detected in the harbours and ports. Moreover, TBT has been detected in the same order of magnitude in other sea basins, emphasizing the need to monitor the trends and impact of booster biocides and TBT in environmental monitoring programs.

The study on contamination of bottom sediments from the Odra River estuary (SW Baltic Sea) by tributyltin using environmetric methods

We present the first comprehensive study on the occurrence of tributyltin (TBT) in the Odra River estuary (SW Baltic Sea) that encompasses both densely populated and urbanized agglomeration Szczecin city, and sparsely populated biosphere reserves "Natura 2000". Relationship between TBT and physicochemical parameters of bottom sediments such as granulometry total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), acid volatile sulfide (AVS), As, and metals: Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Mn, Mo, Pb, Sn, and Zn was investigated in 120 samples collected in 2017 and 2018. The highest TBT concentrations were over 3000 ng g^-1 (dry weight). They were observed in samples collected in the vicinity of the ship maintenance zones of the Szczecin city. Despite the EU ban on its use since 2003, TBT is still present in the environment. Environmetrics analyses such as correlation, cluster, and principal component analysis of obtained results revealed that the main source of sediments contamination by TBT, metalloids, and metals is likely related to the maritime industry: shipyards, ship maintenance as well as ports and marines. TBT is still present in the bottom sediments because of its emission to the environment with dust and paint chips formed during sandblasting cleaning of ship surfaces. The pollutant is further transported with water current to remote localization in the Szczecin Lagoon. Slow water exchange between the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea favors accumulation of pollutants in the lagoon sediments. Therefore, it is necessary to implement environmentally friendly methods into ship maintenance and management of the materials from dredged waterways, harbors, and marinas.