Enhancing Maritime Industry Resilience and Sustainability by Development of Non-toxic Anti-Fouling Marine Coatings

通过开发无毒防污船舶涂料增强海事工业的弹性和可持续性

• 批准号: 570691-2021
• 负责人: Oakes, KenKD
• 金额: $ 13.88万
• 依托单位: Cape Breton University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=745412
• 关键词: Enhancing; Maritime; Industry; Resilience; Sustainability

Biofouling, the settlement and development of unwanted aquatic species, is a significant challenge for maritime industries including the transportation and aquaculture sectors. Marine fouling affects hull hydrodynamic resistance to reduce speed while increasing fuel consumption by as much as 20%. Biofouling also poses a significant economic barrier to fish production, contributing 5-10% of productions costs. Currently, much marine transportation and aquaculture biofouling is controlled with the use of highly effective copper or copper alloy-based compounds, but their effectiveness is due to non-specific toxicity of leaching copper ions, which may affect food safety. The proposed project will develop environmentally friendly anti-fouling treatments based on black titanium dioxide (bTiO2) and layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites with naturally sourced biomaterials, evaluate their efficacy to inhibit adhering film-forming microorganisms by the biomolecules' innate properties and the nanomaterials generation of electron holes and oxyradicals. Anti-biofouling efficiency will be measured by immersing substrates in seawater with nutrient augmentation to accelerate biofilm growth. Ecotoxicity of nanocomposite/biomaterial coatings and their uptake by filter feeders will be evaluated by tissue dissections and staining with elimination assessed through collection of oyster and mussel feces/pseudofeces. Combining visible light-exploiting bTiO2 nanomaterials which generate reactive oxygen species underwater in low-light conditions (where UV is rapidly scattered with depth) with natural biomaterials that passively inhibit biofilm formation may produce surface coatings rivalling effectiveness of legacy and current metal-based antifouling strategies. Regulators cannot ban copper-based anti-fouling treatments in the absence of a viable commercial replacement as aquaculture is an increasingly important source of protein, and fouling is the chief logistical and economic challenge facing aquaculture. Commercialization of such products will foster a vital competitive edge for Canadian aquaculture in the international marketplace, while improving ecosystem and human health in Canada.

生物污垢，即不需要的水生物种的沉积和发展，是包括运输和水产养殖部门在内的海运业面临的重大挑战。海洋污垢会影响船体水动力阻力，从而降低航速，同时使燃油消耗增加多达 20%。生物污垢还对鱼类生产构成重大经济障碍，占生产成本的 5-10%。目前，许多海洋运输和水产养殖生物污垢是通过使用高效的铜或铜合金基化合物来控制的，但其有效性是由于浸出的铜离子的非特异性毒性，这可能会影响食品安全。该项目将开发基于黑色二氧化钛（bTiO2）和层状双氢氧化物（LDH）复合材料与天然生物材料的环保型防污处理剂，评估它们通过生物分子的固有特性以及纳米材料产生的电子空穴和氧自由基抑制附着成膜微生物的功效。 通过将基质浸入海水中并添加营养物质以加速生物膜生长来测量抗生物污垢效率。 将通过组织解剖和染色来评估纳米复合材料/生物材料涂层的生态毒性及其被滤食性动物的吸收，并通过收集牡蛎和贻贝粪便/假粪便来评估消除情况。 将利用可见光的 bTiO2 纳米材料（在水下弱光条件下（紫外线随深度快速散射）产生活性氧）与被动抑制生物膜形成的天然生物材料相结合，可能会产生可与传统和当前金属基防污策略相媲美的表面涂层。在缺乏可行的商业替代品的情况下，监管机构不能禁止铜基防污处理，因为水产养殖是越来越重要的蛋白质来源，而污垢是水产养殖面临的主要后勤和经济挑战。此类产品的商业化将增强加拿大水产养殖在国际市场上的重要竞争优势，同时改善加拿大的生态系统和人类健康。