The international convention banning the use of organotins, such as TBT, in anti-fouling paints has finally been ratified by sufficient countries to bring it into force.
Panama signed up on Monday, September 17. That raised the number of states ratifying the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention) to 25, with a combined 38.11 percent of world merchant tonnage. The convention will enter into force one year after this on September 17, 2008.
Currently, use of TBT-containing paints is constrained by a
patchwork of regional and national rules.
With the AFS Convention in force, ships will no longer be permitted to apply or re-apply organotin compounds in their anti-fouling systems. Ships already having such compounds on their hulls will have to be sealed with a coating that forms a barrier to prevent the compounds leaching from the underlying non-compliant anti-fouling systems.
The AFS Convention also establishes a mechanism to evaluate and assess other anti-fouling systems and prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in these systems.
The convention will apply to ships flying the flag of a party to the convention, as well as ships not entitled to fly their flag but which operate under their authority and to all ships that enter a port, shipyard or offshore terminal of a party. It will apply to all ships, including fixed or floating platforms, floating storage units (FSUs), and floating production storage and off-loading units (FPSOs).
Source: Marinelog
Related information
International Maritime Organization (IMO): International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships
Akzo Nobel: Antifoulings: The Legislative Position - Key Points Summary
EVISA: Info pages: Tributyltin
EVISA: Regulation (EC) No 782/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 April 2003 on the prohibition of organotin compounds on ships US EPA: Aquatic Life Criteria for Tributyltin (TBT) EVISA Link Database: Tributyltin
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EVISA News, December 15, 2003: Artifacts during the extraction of butyltin compounds from solid samples !
EVISA News, December 11, 2003: No degradation of TBT in seafood during cooking
last time modified: September 21, 2007
