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Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Microplastics and Antifouling Paint Particles from Ship-Hull Derusting Wastewater and Their Emissions into the Marine Environment
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Researchers conducted a systematic analysis of microplastics and antifouling paint particles found in wastewater from ship hull cleaning operations. They found that both types of particles are released in significant quantities during derusting, with antifouling particles being particularly toxic due to their high metal and biocide content. The study highlights ship maintenance activities as an important but often overlooked source of marine microplastic and toxic particle pollution.
Microplastics (MPs) and Antifouling Paint Particles (APPs) are pervasive anthropogenic pollutants that threaten global ecosystems, with distinct yet overlapping environmental behaviors and toxic impacts. MPs disperse widely in aquatic systems via runoff and wastewater; their toxicity stems from physical, chemical, and synergistic effects. APPs are concentrated in coastal zones, estuaries, and shipyard areas, and are acutely toxic due to their high metal and biocide content. This study systematically characterized the composition, concentration, and size distribution of common MPs and APPs in ship-hull derusting wastewater produced by ultra-high-pressure water jetting, using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) coupled with particle size analysis. The wastewater exhibited a total suspended solids (TSS) concentration of 20.04 g·L−1, within which six types of MPs were identified at 3.29 mg·L−1 in total and APPs were quantified at 330.25 mg·L−1, representing 1.65% of TSS. The residual fraction primarily consisted of algae, biological debris, and inorganic particles. Particle size distribution ranged from 3.55 to 111.47 μm, with a median size (D50) of 31 μm, while APPs were mainly 5–100 μm, with 81.4% < 50 μm. Extrapolation to the annual treated ship-hull surface area in 2024 indicated the generation of ~57,440 m3 wastewater containing ~0.2 tons of MPs and ~19 tons of APPs. These findings highlight the magnitude of pollutant release from ship maintenance activities and underscore the urgent need for targeted treatment technologies and regulatory policies to mitigate microplastic pollution in marine environments.
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