Antifouling Paint Particles: Bibliometric Analysis and Brief Review of Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Antifouling paint particles (APP) are considered highly toxic pollutants, whose presence has been reported in areas close to port activities, vessels, fishing, and maintenance. The present study aims to conduct a bibliometric study of the APP evaluation of Latin American and Caribbean research (original articles, conference papers, and reviews), published between 2011-2023, in two of the most important global academic databases, Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. The search chain and selection of documents identified 28 articles in WoS and 21 in Scopus. Brazil is the leading country in terms of publications on this topic. The articles report values as high as 40,300 µg/g of APP in sediments, containing metals such as Cu, Zn Si, Fe, Cr, and Pb among others. Butyltin diuron, Irgarol, 4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-1,2-thiazol-3(2H)-one (DCOIT), and other biocides are also reported. Further studies are expected on toxicity and proper management of these wastes in estuaries and port areas in Latin America and the Caribbean.