Levels of antifoulant irgarol 1051 in the Conwy Marina, North Wales

Irgarol 1051 (2-methylthio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine) is an antifouling agent used in paint formulations that are applied to the hulls of ships. A survey was carried out at Conwy Marina in North Wales to determine the levels of the herbicide over a period of three months. Liqui d/liquid extraction was used to concentrate the analyte for quantitative an alysis using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in the selected i on monitoring (SIM) mode. The concentrations of Irgarol 1051 in Conwy marin a ranged from 7 to 543 ng/l, similar to the levels found in many other mari nas, estuaries and ports in England, although much lower than those in Cote d'Azur, France. The concentrations of Irgarol 1051 were not found to be in fluenced by salinity, pH or temperature, although there is a strong correla tion between the average concentrations of Irgarol 1051 and the density of boating activity. At the levels found in the marina, it is possible that no n-target photosynthetic inhibition could occur. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science L td, All rights reserved.