Barnacles can really slow a ship down. But the coatings used to keep hulls clean aren't clean for the environment. (via hakaimagazine)
In the late 1700s, King George III glimpsed the future of shipping. Sir Charles Middleton, comptroller of the British Royal Navy, approached the monarch with a vision. His pitch came with a demo—a specially modified. The king’s eye soon fell on the shimmering copper plates that encased the miniature ship’s hull below the waterline.
The challenge is to find effective, sustainable coatings that don’t cost the Earth or leach heavy metals into the ocean. Ship owners must choose carefully. Even a small increase in the roughness of a ship’s hull can have a dramatic effect on emissions, explains Nick Aldred, a marine biologist at the University of Essex in England: “You lose out in a big way by having any barnacles.”
Like Middleton’s copper plates, biocidal coatings kill organisms looking to adhere to the ship’s hull. But it’s possible to push this too far, and the biocidal coating tributyltin is a disastrous example of what’s at stake. This potent antifouling coating was used on ships’ hulls for decades, but it poisoned seaways and caused oysters’ shells to thicken so much that the creaturesThe other option, a fouling-release coating, is like cooking with a nonstick frying pan, says Salta.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Here’s Why Legitimate Scientists Should Debate RFK Jr.OPINION | Joe Rogan offered a ton of money for scientist Peter Hotez to debate RFK Jr. about vaccines. Hotez should do it and expose RFK Jr. as the unhinged crank that he is.
Consulte Mais informação »
‘Mormon Land’: Deconstructing Carthage — Why Joseph was slain and why it was about more than religionOn this week's 'Mormon Land' podcast, historian Benjamin Park discusses the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Consulte Mais informação »
How scientists are hacking the genetic code to give proteins new powersBy modifying the blueprint of life, researchers are endowing proteins with chemistries they’ve never had before.
Consulte Mais informação »
Scientists create cesium-based 'artificial atoms' in a quantum simulatorIn a new study, scientists use a solid-state quantum simulator to create artificial atoms to probe the behavior of molecules and atomic structure.
Consulte Mais informação »
Scientists discover critical factors that determine the survival of airborne virusesCritical insights into why airborne viruses lose their infectivity have been uncovered by scientists at the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface today, reveal how cleaner air kills the virus significantly quicker and why opening a window may be more important than originally thought. The research could shape future mitigation strategies for new viruses.
Consulte Mais informação »
Modern horses have lost their additional toes, scientists confirmThe distant ancestors of modern horses had hooved toes instead of a single hoof, which vanished over time, according to researchers.
Consulte Mais informação »