What is ISO 21716‑1 about?
ISO 21716 is an International Standard on ships and marine technology that discusses the bioassay methods for screening anti-fouling paints.
ISO 217161 focuses on general requirements for screening anti-fouling paints.
21716‑1 specifies general requirements and common specifications for preparing and aging panels coated with anti-fouling paint to perform laboratory bioassay screening tests against specified organisms.
21716‑1 applies to all anti-fouling paints that prevent or deter the attachment and growth of sessile organisms on a surface through chemical or biological means.
Note: 21716‑1 does not apply to the following:
- Coatings that deter or prevent fouling solely by physical means such as biocide-free foul release paints
- Anti-fouling methods used for controlling harmful marine organisms and pathogenic organisms in ships' ballast water and sediments
Who is ISO 21716‑1 for?
ISO 21716‑1 on bioassay methods for screening anti-fouling paints is applicable to:
- Manufacturers of anti-fouling paints
- Laboratories involved in the inspection of anti-fouling paints
- Marine engineers
- Design engineers
- Quality control and testing personnel
Why should you use ISO 21716‑1?
Anti-fouling paints that contain biocides are widely used to prevent the fouling of ship hulls by marine organisms. As a quality control personnel, ISO 21716‑1 helps you in testing anti-fouling paints against specified organisms.
ISO 21716‑1 provides you with screening bioassays related to certain common genera of fouling organisms, namely barnacles, mussels, and algae. These screening tests are relatively simple and rapid laboratory tests that can be performed to provide you with an indication of the toxicity of a painted surface towards selected test organisms.
ISO 21716‑1 gives you guidelines about screening tests and can be used as part of a tiered approach to predict the ability of anti-fouling paint to prevent fouling on ships.
You can test anti-fouling paints, following the guidelines provided in ISO 21716‑1, and evaluate the efficacy of anti-fouling paints. Evaluating the efficacy of these paints is vital to determine the fuel efficiency of the ship. Moreover, extremely toxic fouling-paints should be avoided since they pose as an environmental hazard.