Heightened awareness, stringent regulations and sustained monitoring required to stop use of harmful antifouling systems in shipping
Heightened awareness, stringent regulations and sustained monitoring required to stop use of harmful antifouling systems in shipping- Prof. O. S. Ayanda
Olushola Ayanda, an Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria has raised an alarm over the continuous presence of harmful, prohibited organotin compounds in Africa’s Blue Economy.
Ayanda who made the disclosure recently during an exclusive interview on Live Conversations, a live broadcast by Maritime TV Africa, called on the Nigerian government to enforce the ban of the use of toxic tributyltin and triphenyltin which is still sold in the open market.
He stated that these chemicals which are used in producing in marine paints, pesticides and other substances have the highest toxicity.
He noted that Africa's marine ecosystems are now facing a dire threat from these toxic compounds, which are pollutants primarily originating from anti-fouling paints extensively used in the maritime industry.
Antifouling compounds, designed to repel fouling organisms from marine structures and vessels, inadvertently wreak havoc on non-target marine life, persisting in the environment and earning the moniker of "persistent organic pollutants."
Although banned by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), organotins are still used in some regions, especially Africa, raising grave concerns.
Drawing from his research at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa, during which he found the presence of organotin compounds in water samples from Cape Town harbour, Prof. Ayanda said "Organotin compounds, particularly the tri-substituted variants, are utilised in anti-fouling paints to deter marine organisms from adhering to ship surfaces.
He called for the comprehensive monitoring and regulation citing the absence of robust data as exacerbating the challenge, leaving Africa's waters vulnerable to contamination and its inhabitants at risk of adverse health effects.
He said the consequences of organotin exposure is catastrophic and ranges from mass mortality of marine species to the development of male characteristics in female invertebrates, adding that human health is also imperiled by cancers, neurological disorders, and reproductive abnormalities with the consumption of seafood contaminated by the anti-fouling agents.
Prof. Ayanda who is pioneering work on the Application of Nanomaterials Combined with Advanced Oxidation Treatment Techniques for the Removal of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDC), Persistent Organic Chemicals (POP), and Emerging Micro-Pollutants from Contaminated Waters believes his research will mitigate pollutant contamination at its source, safeguarding both marine ecosystems and human populations.
However, he underscored the need for concerted efforts, advocating for heightened awareness, stringent regulations, and sustained monitoring to stem the tide of contamination and secure a sustainable future for Africa's blue economy.
He urged policymakers, regulators, stakeholders and the public to embrace the call to action in the defense of the oceans and the myriad lives they sustain.
Written by:
Damilola Ogunojuwo
