TBT in Mammals
TBT, the anti-fouling additive in boat paint which has been found to be extremely toxic to shellfish, has been found in the tissues of five dead Californian sea otters. The highest TBT level recorded was 1.2 parts per million, 50,000 times the concentration known to be harmful to oysters. The significance of the finding is not yet known, but it is hoped that the proof that TBT can accumulate in mammals will lead to further research. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Navy is pleading to be exempted from moves to have the paint additive banned in New Zealand, because it claims paint with TBT is ‘"‘more effective’. The NZ Navy seems to be taking its lead from the US Navy, which also wants to use the anti-fouling paint, and which has conducted tests supposedly showing the paint to be environmentally safe.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/FORBI19880501.2.12.4
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Forest and Bird, Volume 19, Issue 2, 1 May 1988, Page 9
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143TBT in Mammals Forest and Bird, Volume 19, Issue 2, 1 May 1988, Page 9
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