The problem with copper paints is that copper is a heavy metal that does not break down in the environment. As can be seen, the environmentally friendly paint provides the best protection.

The black panels in the picture are painted with non-toxic silicone-based paint, the red with copper-based paint, and the white are completely untreated. These have now been under the surface for over two years and we can state that the silicone paint still works well and, above all, is better than the copper paint.' says Maria Lagerström, researcher in marine environmental science at Chalmers and one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release. 'We have actually left our test panels at one of the test sites. The study lasted one year, but the results also apply over a longer period of time. The result was that the environmentally friendly paint is not only as good as the copper paint but even better. Unfortunately, copper-based paints pose an environmental problem in the Baltic Sea, and now a study shows that there is no reason not to switch to the environmentally friendly alternatives available.Ī research group from Chalmers, Gothenburg University, and IVL Swedish Environmental Institute has compared copper-based boat bottom paint with non-toxic silicone-based paint. Many boat owners paint the boat hull with copper-based paint to prevent, for example, barnacles, mussels, and algae from attaching to the hull.

Boat painnt