Chemical leachates of OWF coatings

OWF paints may leach chemicals into the marine environment. To identify potential chemical leachates, small plaques were made and coated using the two most applied coatings currently used on OWFs in the North Sea. Each plaque was exposed to clean seawater in a closed system, mimicking similar conditions as observed in the North Sea. Chemicals leaching from the coatings into the surrounding seawater were extracted and analysed using GC-MS. Up to 116 chemical compounds were detected in each sample. These compounds will further be identified using databanks and literature.