HEALTH HAZARDS OF ENGINEERING COMPOSITE MATERIALS USED IN MARINE TRANSPORTATION: EXPOSURE PATHWAYS, TOXICOLOGICAL RISKS, AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES

Atakök G., Mertgenç Yoldaş D.

WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE HEALTHCARE RESEARCH, cilt.10, sa.3, ss.1-5, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites—primarily GFRP and CFRP—deliver corrosion resistance and weight savings in ships and marine systems, yet their lifecyle health hazards across manufacturing, operation, maintenance, fire events, and end-of-life are underexamined. This paper synthesizes occupational and public-health risks associated with resins (epoxy, vinylester/polyester), hardeners (amines), styrene monomer, fibrous dust (glass and carbon fibers), and smoke/toxic gases from composite fires, alongside microplastics released from coatings and FRP degradation. Drawing on experimental evidence of seawater aging in CFRP/GFRP single-lap joints (moisture uptake, mechanical changes), it is exposured pathways (inhalation, dermal, ingestion), health outcomes (neurotoxicity, dermatitis/sensitization, respiratory irritation, potential carcinogenicity for certain vitreous fibers), and practical controls (engineering, administrative, PPE) aligned with IMO/SOLAS fire-safety equivalence principles. It is proposed a risk-mitigation checklist for shipyards and operators and outline research gaps in dermal uptake biomarkers for epoxy systems and quantitative microplastic health risk from marine sources.