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Health Hazards of Engineering Composite Materials Used in Marine Transportation: Exposure Pathways, Toxicological Risks, and Mitigation Strategies
Summary
This review study examined the health risks from fiber-reinforced plastic materials commonly used in boats and ships, which can release toxic chemicals and tiny plastic particles throughout their lifetime. The researchers found that workers and the public can be exposed to harmful substances through breathing contaminated air, skin contact, or consuming contaminated seafood, potentially causing breathing problems, skin reactions, and nerve damage. The study highlights the need for better safety measures in shipyards and more research on how microplastics from marine sources might affect human health.
Fiber‑reinforced polymer (FRP) composites—primarily GFRP and CFRP—deliver corrosion resistance and weight savings in ships and marine systems, yet their lifecyle health hazards across manufacturing, operation, maintenance, fire events, and end‑of‑life are underexamined. This paper synthesizes occupational and public‑health risks associated with resins (epoxy, vinylester/polyester), hardeners (amines), styrene monomer, fibrous dust (glass and carbon fibers), and smoke/toxic gases from composite fires, alongside microplastics released from coatings and FRP degradation. Drawing on experimental evidence of seawater aging in CFRP/GFRP single‑lap joints (moisture uptake, mechanical changes), it is exposured pathways (inhalation, dermal, ingestion), health outcomes (neurotoxicity, dermatitis/sensitization, respiratory irritation, potential carcinogenicity for certain vitreous fibers), and practical controls (engineering, administrative, PPE) aligned with IMO/SOLAS fire‑safety equivalence principles. It is proposed a risk‑mitigation checklist for shipyards and operators and outline research gaps in dermal uptake biomarkers for epoxy systems and quantitative microplastic health risk from marine sources.