We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Identifying and managing ship paint microplastic pollution along the supply chain: a shipbuilding case study
ClearA Review of Microplastics Research in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Transport Industry
This review examined microplastic research specifically focused on the shipbuilding and maritime transport industry, an underexplored source of plastic contamination in marine environments. The authors found that ship maintenance, antifouling paint degradation, and fiber rope wear generate significant quantities of microplastics that largely escape current monitoring frameworks.
Qualitative and quantitative assessment of microplastics derived from antifouling paint in effluent from ship hull hydroblasting and their emission into the marine environment
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination generated during ship hull hydroblasting, a common maintenance procedure. They found that a single vessel produced billions of paint-derived particles, with the vast majority smaller than 5 millimeters and composed primarily of acrylic polymers. The study identifies ship maintenance activities as a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic emissions into marine environments.
Understanding the potential release of microplastics from coatings used on commercial ships
This review examined how polymer-based paints applied to commercial ships contribute to ocean microplastic pollution. The study found that anticorrosive and antifouling coatings shed plastic particles through normal weathering and in-water hull cleaning, with the extent of release depending on coating type, condition, and maintenance practices.
Paint particles in the marine environment: An overlooked component of microplastics
Researchers highlight that paint particles, which consist of polymers combined with additives, are frequently overlooked or misclassified in studies of marine microplastic pollution. They found that paint fragments from ships, buildings, and infrastructure represent a significant but underreported source of microplastic contamination in ocean environments. The study calls for paint particles to be consistently included in marine debris monitoring to provide a more accurate picture of plastic pollution.
Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Microplastics and Antifouling Paint Particles from Ship-Hull Derusting Wastewater and Their Emissions into the Marine Environment
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.
Estimating total microplastic loads to the marine environment as a result of ship biofouling in-water cleaning
Researchers estimated that the global shipping industry could be releasing thousands of tons of microplastics annually through the wear, maintenance, and cleaning of marine coatings on commercial vessels. Predictive modeling showed that bulk carriers are the largest contributors, and manual biofouling cleaning by divers generates more microplastics than mechanized cleaning systems with debris capture. The study highlights ship coatings as an underappreciated but substantial source of marine microplastic pollution.
The potential release of microplastics from paint fragments: Characterizing sources, occurrence and ecological impacts
This review examines paint fragments as a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution, coming from deteriorating building coatings, road markings, and ship hulls. Beyond the plastic particles themselves, paint fragments can release toxic biocides and heavy metals that harm aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The findings highlight paint as a source of microplastics that people may encounter through water, air, and food, but which receives far less attention than packaging or textile sources.
Investigation of plastic and microplastic waste from ships in the marine environment
Researchers investigated plastic and microplastic waste originating from ships in the marine environment, examining the types, quantities, and pathways by which vessel operations contribute to marine plastic pollution. The study addresses a relatively underexplored source of marine plastic contamination compared to land-based inputs.
Microplastics in Ship Sewage and Solutions to Limit Their Spread: A Case Study
Researchers found microplastic particles in both grey water and post-treatment sewage from transport ships, with mean concentrations of 72 particles per litre in grey water and 51 per litre in treated sewage, demonstrating that ships represent a significant and underregulated source of microplastic pollution in protected marine areas.
Paint particle pollution in aquatic environments: Current advances and analytical challenges
This review highlights paint particles as an overlooked but significant source of microplastic pollution in water environments, originating from marine vessels, buildings, and industrial activities. Paint particles carry toxic chemicals including heavy metals and biocides that can leach into water and accumulate in marine organisms, posing risks to both ecosystems and human health through seafood consumption.
Paint fragments as polluting microplastics: A brief review
This brief review synthesized current knowledge on paint fragments as a significant but frequently overlooked source of microplastic pollution in the ocean. Paint particles contain diverse polymers including polyurethanes, polyesters, and epoxies, and are often excluded from microplastic audits despite their prevalence in marine environments.
Microplastic Pollution in Ship-Sourced Wastewater: Assessment of Pollution Load Risk for Ballast and Bilge Water
A study of ship-generated wastewater found substantial microplastic contamination in both ballast water and bilge water, identifying maritime transport as an underappreciated pathway for spreading microplastic pollution across ocean environments. The findings suggest that current international shipping regulations may be insufficient to prevent microplastic dispersal from vessel operations.
Methods for the detection and characterization of boat paint microplastics in the marine environment
This study developed and evaluated analytical methods for detecting and characterizing boat paint microplastics in the marine environment, addressing a largely overlooked source of plastic pollution from antifouling and decorative coatings that enter seawater through normal boat use.
Occurrence and chemical characteristics of microplastic paint flakes in the North Atlantic Ocean
Non-fibrous microplastics captured by the Continuous Plankton Recorder across the North Atlantic included paint flakes as a significant component, with chemical analysis confirming alkyd and epoxy coatings from ship hulls as the source, representing an underappreciated but globally distributed plastic pollution type.
Lost in definition: unravelling microplastics from marine coatings through bibliometrics science mapping in thematic analysis and systematic narrative literature review
Researchers conducted a bibliometric and narrative review to analyze why marine coatings—paints applied to ships—have been excluded from microplastic classification despite being recognized as a source of marine MPs. They identify the lack of a unified definition and classification system as the key barrier, and map how this knowledge gap has evolved in the literature.
Paint: a ubiquitous yet disregarded piece of the microplastics puzzle
This review found that microplastics from paint and coatings are a largely overlooked but major source of plastic pollution, with concentrations reaching up to 290,000 particles per kilogram of sediment near painted surfaces. Paint microplastics come from buildings, cars, boats, and industrial infrastructure. Of the toxic effects tested, 66% showed significant harm to organisms, particularly from antifouling paints, yet very few studies have examined this pollution source.
Strategies for Green Shipbuilding Design and Production Practices Focused on Reducing Microplastic Pollution Generated during Installation of Plastic Pipes
This paper proposes that shipbuilders should account for microplastic pollution during the design and fitting-out stages of vessel construction, particularly when cutting and preparing plastic pipes — a process that scatters plastic debris that can easily enter the marine environment. By choosing pipe layouts that minimise cutting and handling near open water, the shipbuilding industry could meaningfully reduce its contribution to ocean microplastic pollution.
Environmental pollution with antifouling paint particles: Distribution, ecotoxicology, and sustainable alternatives
This review examines antifouling paint particles as a type of microplastic pollution loaded with toxic biocidal compounds in the marine environment. Researchers found that these particles are mainly concentrated around boatyards and port areas and contribute significantly to overall microplastic pollution, while also discussing recent advances in nontoxic, biobased antifouling alternatives.
Microplastic generation and emission from ship's greywater
Researchers investigated microplastic concentrations and characteristics in greywater discharged from three vessel types - a research vessel, a container ship, and passenger ships - and estimated total microplastic emissions from global commercial shipping. The study found that untreated ship greywater represents a significant but unregulated sea-based microplastic source, with passenger vessels generating the highest microplastic loads per volume of discharge.
Assessment of Microplastic Abundance and Discharge from Greywater of Ships
Researchers quantified microplastics in ship greywater from showers, washbasins, laundry, and dishwashers and found that laundry sources produced the highest microplastic concentrations. Since greywater can be discharged to the sea without treatment in most areas, ships contribute substantially to marine microplastic pollution. The study supports the case for regulating greywater discharge from vessels.
Research status and prospect of microplastics in ship grey water
This review examines microplastic pollution in ship grey water, covering potential sources, current management measures, and progress in qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques for characterizing marine grey water microplastics. The authors propose future research directions including standardized analytical frameworks and improved estimation methods for marine plastic inputs from vessels.
Microplastic Mass Concentrations and Distribution in German Bight Waters by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry/Thermochemolysis Reveal Potential Impact of Marine Coatings: Do Ships Leave Skid Marks?
A mass-based Py-GC/MS survey of microplastics in the German Bight (North Sea) found highly variable concentrations (2–1396 µg/m³) influenced by oceanographic conditions, with coastal samples showing packaging waste signatures and central areas revealing an unexpected signal consistent with marine antifouling paint.
Boat paint and epoxy fragments - Leading contributors of microplastic pollution in surface waters of a protected Andaman bay
Researchers found that boat paint and epoxy fragments are the leading contributors to microplastic pollution in a protected Andaman bay, with microplastics detected year-round in 299 of 300 samples collected during a meroplankton survey.
Microplastic generation and emission from ship's greywater
Researchers measured microplastic abundances and characteristics in greywater from different vessel types — a research vessel, a container ship, and passenger ships — and estimated global microplastic emissions from the discharge of untreated ship greywater. They found a mean abundance of 135,563 particles/m3 in research vessel greywater with fibers comprising about 66% of particles, identifying greywater discharge as a significant and largely unregulated sea-based microplastic source.