D. Liu et al., Survey for the occurrence of the new antifouling compound Irgarol 1051 in the aquatic environment, WATER RES, 33(12), 1999, pp. 2833-2843
Irgarol 1051, (2-methylthio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine
), is a newly developed herbicidal additive for use in copper-based antifou
ling paints. It is intended as replacement for the highly toxic antifouling
agent tributyltin, which has been regulated internationally. Currently, th
ere is no information in the open literature on its environmental occurrenc
e outside Europe. A two-year survey was conducted in 1996-1997 to investiga
te the occurrence of Irgarol 1051 in Canadian and Japanese aquatic environm
ents. Six large trade ports (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Mizushi
ma and Kobe), 73 marinas and 13 fishery harbors were surveyed. Irgarol 1051
was not detected in the Canadian aquatic environment, but was positively i
dentified in the enclosed coastal waters of the Sere Inland Sea in Japan. A
mong the six trade ports surveyed, only the Mizushima Port had low levels o
f Irgarol 1051, up to 19.5 ng/L. Approximately 27% of the marinas surveyed
in the Seto Inland Sea were found to have been contaminated by Irgarol 1051
, ranging in concentration between 12.5 and 264.2 ng/ L. Irgarol 1051 was f
ound more frequently in fishery harbors than in marinas, indicating that be
sides marinas and trade ports, fishery harbors can also be a significant so
urce of contamination for the aquatic environment. Survey for Irgarol 1051
in the fishery harbors has not been reported before, and it is suggested th
at fishery harbors, in addition to ports and marinas, should be included in
the survey list during the Irgarol 1051 monitoring study. Irgarol 1051 has
been reported to be highly toxic to nontarget marine algae with the observ
able growth inhibition at a concentration as low as 50 ng/L, which is well
within the ambient concentration levels found in some localities of the Set
o Inland Sea. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.