Physiological resilience of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) to leachates of an anticorrosion paint commonly used on North Sea offshore wind farms
Ndugwa, M.; De Witte, B.; Bervoets, L.; De Boeck, G. (2026). Physiological resilience of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) to leachates of an anticorrosion paint commonly used on North Sea offshore wind farms. Regional Studies in Marine Science 98: 105085. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2026.105085
In: Regional Studies in Marine Science. Elsevier: Amsterdam. ISSN 2352-4855, more
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| Keywords |
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| Author keywords |
Paint pollution; Scope for growth; Offshore wind |
| Abstract |
As offshore wind energy undergoes rapid expansion, understanding the ecotoxicological risk of infrastructure-related chemical stressors, such as anticorrosion paint leachates, is vital for regional environmental management. This study investigated the acute physiological effects of leachates of paints commonly applied in North Sea offshore wind farms on the key bioindicator Mytilus edulis. Mussels were exposed for 14 days under three conditions: in direct contact with painted steel plates (direct exposure), near painted plates (indirect exposure), and in uncontaminated seawater (control). Physiological parameters including oxygen consumption, clearance rate, and ammonia excretion, were measured to derive the scope for growth (SFG), an integrative indicator of energy balance. Results showed no statistically significant difference in SFG or individual physiological rates across treatments. Mean SFG values (± SD) were 20.6 ± 12.2, 21.2 ± 10.4 and 20.2 ± 11.5 J h−1 g−1 for control, direct and indirect exposures, respectively. These findings suggest that current anticorrosion coatings do not pose an immediate acute risk to adult M. edulis, even at concentrations exceeding expected offshore dilution. Although chronic exposure assessments and early life-stage studies incorporating molecular biomarkers remain critical gaps, this research provides essential baseline data to support environmental risk assessment and monitoring frameworks for the North Sea’s offshore wind sector. |
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