Evaluation of Posidonia oceanica-based activated carbon as a carrier matrix for Econea in self-polishing antifouling paints
Open Chemistry, cilt.24, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 24 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1515/chem-2025-0288
- Dergi Adı: Open Chemistry
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Anahtar Kelimeler: activated carbon, antifouling, biocide, Posidonia oceanica, release rate
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Biocides in antifouling paints prevent marine organisms from attaching to boat surfaces; however, because they can harm aquatic life, they are strictly regulated. This study presents a novel, eco-friendly approach using biomass-derived activated carbon (AC) from waste Posidonia oceanica seagrass as a carrier matrix for the controlled release of the biocide econea. This approach was compared with commercial AC. Adsorption isotherms confirmed that biocide uptake follows the Freundlich model, indicating favorable multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces (R2 = 0.975 for commercial AC and R2 = 0.962 for P. oceanica AC). ISO 15181-based 45-day release tests demonstrated that P. oceanica AC effectively regulated biocide kinetics, yielding average leaching rates of 0.080, 0.120, and 0.350 μg/cm2/day at 4 %, 10 %, and 45 % loadings respectively. This outperformed or matched the commercial AC results (0.092, 0.188, and 0.295 μg/cm2/day). The Environmental Risk Assessment revealed that, while risk characterization ratio (RCR) values exceeded 1 within enclosed marinas, they remained safely below 1 in the surrounding open waters. 45-day Aegean Sea field trials confirmed effective biofouling inhibition. In practice, utilizing endemic seagrass waste provides a dual solution: it controls the release of toxic biocides into marine ecosystems thereby satisfying regulatory standards, while delivering long-term antifouling efficacy via a sustainable, cost-effective carrier matrix.