A case study of Irgarol contamination in coastal environments: The case of Caribbean waters

The potential ecological effect of Irgarol 1051RTM and other "booster biocide" compounds, in freshwater and marine environments, has not yet been studied in great detail. Comparative data for such compounds in marine systems are needed to clarify the contribution of antifoulant use to environmental concentrations and distributions. Without these data it is difficult to confidently evaluate environmental risk. Clearly, additional research is required to further investigate distribution of these compounds and their potential effects on the corals.; Our work provides important new data, which unequivocally establish Irgarol 1051RTM distributions in marine systems outside temperate coastal regions. This study incorporates chemical assays to identify patterns of contamination in the Northeastern Caribbean, providing the basis for ecological risk assessment for resource managers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...