Abstract
Current technology to prevent biofouling usually relies on the use of toxic, biocide-containing materials, which can become a serious threat to marine ecosystems, affecting both targeted and nontargeted organisms. Therefore, the development of broad-spectrum, less toxic antifouling materials is a challenge for researchers; such materials would be quite important in applications like aquaculture. In this respect, surface chemistry, physical properties, durability and attachment scheme can play a vital role in the performance of the materials. In this work, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)/micro ZnO or nano ZnO composite lattices with different metal oxide contents were developed using 3D printing. Their antifouling behavior was examined with respect to aquaculture applications by monitoring growth on them of the diatoms Navicula sp. and the monocellular algae Chlorella sp. with image analysis techniques. As shown, the presence of metal oxides in the composite materials can bring about antifouling ability at particular concentrations. The present study showed promising results, but further improvements are needed.
Highlights
Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries globally
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles exhibited a broad diffraction feature at around 20◦, which was due to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), accompanied by various diffraction peaks at higher 2θ angles, namely 31.7◦, 34.3◦ m 36.2◦, 47.5◦ and 56.67◦
These were unambiguously assigned as different reflections with (100), (002), (101), (102) and (110) Miller indices of wurtzite zinc oxide (w-ZnO) with a = b = 0.32 nm, c = 0.52 nm (P63mc space group), according to ICDD card no. 36-1451
Summary
Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries globally. In 2018, world aquaculture fish production reached 82.1 million tons, as well as 32.4 million tons of aquatic algae and 26,000 tons of ornamental seashells and pearls, bringing the total to an all-time high of114.5 million tones [1]. One problem that aquaculture activities are facing is biofouling, which is the spontaneous colonization by aquatic micro/macro-organisms (freshwater/seawater) on submerged surfaces. This process can rapidly lead to the blocking of fishnet openings, which can restrict the exchange of water with the surrounding environment, and subsequently, give rise to poor water quality and the growth of populations of micro-organisms in fish enclosures. These issues can seriously affect fish populations and lead to increased mortality, increased disease risk and reduced well-being of the fish [6–11]. Several calcareous fouling species settle on shellfish and affect their aesthetics, often resulting in devalued or discarded products, leading to economic losses [15]
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