New antifoul discovery - 100% effective AND green

[brian eiland]

...courtesy of Sail World

A spectacular new study has shown there to be a natural fungus that, when added to hull paint, may completely solve the barnacle problem on the hulls of boats in the future.

The microscopic fungus called 'streptomyces avermitilis' lives in the ocean and is extremely poisonous to acorn barnacles and other crustaceans. When an extract from this fungus is added to paint for the hulls of vessels, the surface remains entirely free from barnacles. This has been recently demonstrated in a study from Göteborg University in Sweden.

'The fungus affects the nervous system of barnacles, and you only need a tiny amount of fungal extract to have an effect,' Hans Elwing, Professor at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Göteborg University, announced yesterday.

Growths on the hulls of all vessels increase friction, which slows the vessel, requiring more wind power or a higher fuel consumption - which in turn causes more emissions.

At Göteborg University there have been several research projects conducted attempting to create environmentally friendly paints which prevent organisms from attaching to surfaces.

The discovery of how this microscopic fungus affects barnacles was made by a research team specializing in surface biophysics. As little as a 0.1 percent mixture of pure fungal extract in paint is sufficient to prevent any growth of acorn barnacles. Traditionally effective anti-foul paints have been problematic for the environment since the poison in the paint dissolves and spreads into the water.


Professor Hans Elwing - .. .
'A sensational finding is that the fungal extract is toxic only as long as the paint is on a painted surface. When the paint is dissolved in sea water, the activation of the poison appears not to take place, making the paint apparently harmless to organisms in the open sea,' says Hans Elwing.

The scientists are basing their work on a theory that the fungal extract makes the paint imitate the fungus's natural and environmentally friendly defense against being eaten. Hans Elwing also believes that many other organisms in the sea have developed this type of environmentally friendly protection.

'The discovery that this fungal extract counteracts the growth of barnacles will probably create quite a stir around the world. No naturally occurring substance has previously been shown to have such a dramatic effect on barnacles in combination with being so easily degradable in the environment and probably completely safe for humans,' says Hans Elwing.

Hans Elwing's research team has joined up with SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden in Borås and Stockholm to develop their ideas. It is hoped that innovations in nanotechnology will facilitate the creation of new anti-fouling paints for boats.

[PAR]

My ex-wife apparently washed her hair in a similar concoction . . .

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by PAR

My ex-wife apparently washed her hair in a similar concoction . . .

LOL

[DLM84]

This could be quite usefull to us in Missouri. Zebra clams (A invader species) are moving in and taking over the lakes and streams. They are apparently killing off traditional food sources and thus having an impact on our game species, and thus the problem.
The problem is so severe that they Missouri conservation dept. has begun imposing VERY stiff fines for any vessel put into any public body of water with Zebra clams on the boat.

[Boston]

Zebra clams are fresh water and streptomyces is salt, wouldnt work, but
there might be another fungus that would
great post Brian
those guys are going to make a killing soon as it hits the market
speaking of which
whens it due on the market ?
any ideas
B

"'A sensational finding is that the fungal extract is toxic only as long as the paint is on a painted surface. When the paint is dissolved in sea water, the activation of the poison appears not to take place, making the paint apparently harmless to organisms in the open sea,' says Hans Elwing."
...Or, they really want to market this stuff and designed tests to show how it is harmless. Diluted in enough seawater, anything is non-toxic. Sorry to be a sceptic but I have seen enough fantastic claims for various bottom paint concoctions that just don't proof as advertized that I will wait and see on this one.
And the moss - or is it just barnacles?
In a world where an abundant naturally occuring gas is deemed dangerous enough that we will sacrifice the Western world's economy on the chance that we may be adding some small percentage to the equation and should drag ourselves down to a third-world level so they can use their fair share, I can see future problems with ANY bottom paint that has a substance disageeable to some organism.

[Boston]

its not the naturally occurring part thats the problem
its the human mined and released fossil co2 that is the problem
thing to remember is that 95/100 fish over 1 foot long has been removed from the ocean and 80% of the coral in the Bahamas is dead 50% in the Atlantic not to mention the Culpera weed smothering the Mediterranean or any of the other human caused factors.
we are having a significant impact
and in the vast majority of cases its negative
so
every little bit helps
bottom paint included

best
B

I wonder if there have been studies to compare the net pollutions of using E-paint or or other stuff that doesn't work (for me) and burning more fuel because of it vs. using the good stuff with lots of heavy metal that actually keeps the bottom clean (Also, home heating oil vs. low-sulphur diesel with fewer BTUs, etc.).
Don't get me wrong, I like the ocean clean, just like the next guy - I'm just sceptical and don't like freedom reducing regulations (all) unless the benefit is damn well demonstrable and verifiable.
I won't go far on a tangent of trying to verify "95 of 100" and other such sensationalisms that are impossible to prove but I will say that at half a century of age with over 7,000 days at sea, I see it a much cleaner place than it used to be (mostly through peer pressure and education) and the finfish in my area are much bigger and more abundant than they were in the seventies and eighties (though crab and shrimp are down due to environmental factors including warm water - like the Bahamas and their reefs).

[Boston]

you might want to watch this

[brian eiland]

Interesting video Boston. I felt it deserved to head up a subject thread of its own:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/ope...tml#post275091

[Petros]

just because it is "natural", or occurs in nature, does not mean it is not highly toxic, or not harmful. Everything we have and are made of, came out of the ground, and back to the ground it will go eventually. So all of it is "natural", not all of it is beneficial.

[Boston]

an interesting philosophical argument
you are right but its a mater of semantics
define natural

thing is that the toxin is not produced once the organism is free of the surrounding paint
so the natural cycle of the toxic response of the organism is being used to turn off the effect

Im sure a study will be done on the concentration of the toxin and its duration in the environment

B

[Zed]

I'm told that constantly filtering air over the hull surface keeps it quite clean. Like a fish tank aerator, requires power or say wave action to drive a pump. It maybe more helpful for commercial vessels that are in constant use than for private, I guess that depends on the % of time that the flow is required to keep things clean. Anyway there is supposed to be a patent under way and some commercialization of the process happening, probably for shipping I'd guess. Watch this space?

[philSweet]

I used to work at a fiberglass shop that kept a couple gallons of bottom paint on hand for small repairs. we sold the stuff by the ounce. About ten times a year someone would ask me "Why don't they make bottom paint out of coconuts, they can float around for years and nothing grows on them." I always figured I'd stumble across the answer; but I never have. Anyone have any info on this maritime legend?

[Lt. Holden]

philsweet,

This is totally off the wall but I knew someone with the same name when I was a kid. Did you live in Miami (more specifically Perrine)? Were you a Boy Scout?
John, Troop 39, later Troop 206? I think.