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

生物污损，即不需要的水生物种的定居和发展，是包括运输和水产养殖部门在内的海洋产业面临的重大挑战。海洋污垢影响船体的水动力阻力，从而降低速度，同时增加高达20%的燃料消耗。生物污损也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的生物污损是通过使用高效的铜或铜合金基化合物来控制的，但它们的有效性是由于浸出铜离子的非特异性毒性，这可能影响食品安全。该项目将开发基于黑二氧化钛（bTiO 2）和层状双氢氧化物（LDH）复合材料与天然生物材料的环保防污处理，通过生物分子的固有特性和纳米材料产生的电子空穴和氧自由基来评估其抑制粘附成膜微生物的功效。 将通过将基材浸入海水中并增加营养物以加速生物膜生长来测量抗生物污损效率。 将通过组织解剖和染色评价纳米复合材料/生物材料涂层的生态毒性及其被滤食性动物摄取，并通过收集牡蛎和贻贝粪便/假粪便评估消除情况。 结合可见光开发bTiO 2纳米材料，在低光条件下（其中UV随深度迅速散射）在水下产生活性氧物质，与被动抑制生物膜形成的天然生物材料相结合，可以产生与传统和当前金属为基础的生物膜策略的有效性相媲美的表面涂层。在没有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，而污染是水产养殖面临的主要后勤和经济挑战。这些产品的商业化将促进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。

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.