By Alex Bindon, Grayson Camp, Elise Henry, Zie Schimpp

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith

Abstract

Anti-fouling paint applied to the hulls of vessels is known to release heavy metals in seawater. The Concentration of copper and zinc released by anti-fouling paint will be determined when subjected to varying temperatures. This variation on anti-fouling paint helps prevent sea
life accumulation such as barnacles, mollusks, and algae, to protect the hulls of vessels. However, as heavy metals are leached into the ocean, a threat is posed to aquatic life such as fish, cephalopods, and coral. As the anti-fouling paint is applied to a stir rod and subjected to
simulated ocean conditions, including a pH of 8.33 and salinity of 33–34‰, it is expected that at higher temperatures a greater concentration of copper and zinc will be released. Each sample will be analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma instrument (ICP) and the signal produced will
be compared to constructed calibration curves.