The use of chemicals in all areas of industry has come under increasing scrutiny over the last few years, none more so than for products like antifoul coatings and marine paints. It's hardly surprising that these products are being looked at, given the obvious link between the immersion of the coated area into open water, and with the main effect of antifoul which is to kill off, or at least repel, plant or animal growth on the hull.

Added to that are the stories of old antifouling concoctions that would kill a dolphin at 100 metres and it was only a matter of time before the powers that be looked into this area.

As a result the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) was launched on industry. And it's not only the marine industry that's affected. The golf world can no longer use harsh toxins to stop worms from ruining greens and fairways, for example.

BBasked some of the key players for their opinions and to give us an overview of how things would pan out. We first looked into this last year: now, one year on, we've gone back to some of these experts and companies to ask how things have gone since then.

At the time we last spoke to the industry the directive was being looked into and Dr Julian Hunter, who is in charge of International Paint's Product and Regulatory Affairs, felt it "would obviously have an impact on the industry, but that all of the companies involved would work to develop products to work within the new guidelines".

So how have things gone over the last year? Dr Hunter tells us the work is still going on and as the BPD covers everything from fly spray to paint the products have been split into groups.

Currently the European Commission (EC) is looking at wood preservatives and pesticides, with antifoul coatings coming up in the next batch of products. Manufacturers are busily preparing submissions for consideration and these will include details of product ingredients, with data on active components making up the lion's share of the information to be submitted.

Results due 06/07 This documentation is to be submitted next year, with publication of the results due in 2006/7, but companies are going to be watching the results of the preservative submission, due at the end of 2005, with interest to see how the commission is thinking.

All this did not stop International launching a new antifoul coating at the recent Schroders London Boat Show at ExCeL. The new off-white VC17m Extra antifouling with Teflon is being marketed as "a brighter choice for boat owners with a need for speed".

International claim it is, "the only antifouling that fast boats will need".

The company told us the formula, which is thinner than traditional antifouling, gives a hull a "slick, low friction surface", making it ideal for racing yachts, powerboats and cruising craft. VC17m Extra has a thin film self-levelling formula that creates a smooth finish without the need to sand between coatings.

International is marketing the coating as giving a "faster on-water experience" and say it "has been proved to increase boat speed from minimised turbulence".

"So much background research and rigorous testing has gone into the development of this product and we are confident of its ability, " said Boris Webber, sales support manager for the UK Yacht Division of International Paint.

"This is a high technology product and we anticipate great interest and results from its antifouling capabilities."

With things being somewhat undecided at present makers are continuing to develop new products, but with an eye to the new regulations and how they may change things in the future. Predicting the outcome is not easy but this could have the effect of making the developers of these products think even more environmentally friendly to avoid any potentially costly changes when the new rules come in.

There are many different developments in coatings underway and approach is that of copying naturally occurring phenomenon including the skins of fish. The Superspeed coatings division of Polymarine is introducing Superspeed SP53, an antifoul paint that has been designed to mimic the skin of a fish. It's a catalytic alloy that develops a smooth and slippery microfilm that discards marine growth when the boat moves through the water. They say it works at speeds as low as 4 knots.

Complete kit SP53 is being packaged as a complete kit, with all the items needed to apply the coating including disposable brushes, gloves, overalls, dust mask and paint stirrer. The coating is new to Europe, and has been tested in the United States where users have, apparently, reported improved boat speed through the water and excellent fuel savings.

Back in 2004 Seajet launched a number of new antifoul coatings and this year they are planning to introduce more, but these were not on show at ExCeL.

The Seajet brand is owned and developed by the Chugoku Marine Paint Company (CMP) of Japan which has been making coatings for over 90 years. The company is quoted as supplying CMP coatings on "at least 50% of all Japan's commercial fleet", and its UK distributor is Marine and Industrial, based in Norfolk.

CMP claims the commercial shipping sector drives antifoul research for pleasure boat markets and, as such, its feeling is that the users can be confident the products have been tested in more trying conditions.

What was given a high profile at ExCeL was the Seajet 039 Platinum which is claimed, in the product information, "to offer users up to three years protection in all fouling conditions".

The product uses a selfpolishing copolymer which reacts quickly to salt water to release a biocide at a controlled rate over time. The action of the water over the hull smooths the surface, exposing a new layer of biocide to the outside world. In the UK 039 comes in a two component pack.

One of the largest names in the business, Jotun, saw its Mare Nostrum product recommended by Motor Boats Monthly during a six month test, the results of which were published in March 2004. The product was highly visible on the Jotun stand and, like many other products on offer, was heavily discounted. The company's marketing manager, Linda Diamond, pointed out that "their product was the only one on offer with a five year warranty".

The company continues to carry out extensive research and development and makes much of its ability to test its products in the many centres the company has around the world. As a result they feel able to promote the products as having been tried in a wide range of climatic and sea conditions.

New products in 2006 Plans are also afoot to launch a number of new products in 2006 to coincide with the expected new rules and regulations that are certain to come as a result of the BPD committee looking at this sector. As has been pointed out by others in the past the inconsistency of regulations across Europe is making planning difficult and the rationalisation of production a problem.

The UK distributor of the Veneziani range, Yacht Systems UK of Shamrock Quay, is also finding the pan-EU inconsistency a problem. Although the company is a relatively new name the Veneziani range has been available for many years and has been previously marketed by a number of distributors.

Yacht Systems, however, intend to give the range a higher profile. One product in particular, Speedy Carbonium, they feel has a good future with its carbon-based formula as opposed to the Teflon-based products available.

The company also points out that problems occur with differing regulations in different countries and, as a result, not all products from a given manufacturer are always available.

Another big name is Blakes which, although having a stand at ExCeL, was not promoting any new antifoul products. However we were told that development work is continuing and, like some others in the same sector, the company is waiting for more clarification on the BPD.

During our research it became apparent that one area of growth had been that of the cleaning systems for the preparation of the hull prior to coating and also the growth of companies providing this service. When surface preparation in the past had required the use of potentially hazardous chemicals it's natural, in a climate of environmental awareness, that these too should be reduced.

One of the companies that use a non-chemical based system is Symblast. Its system is unique, they tell us, in that it is able to remove surface coatings with the most minimal damage to the substrate.

The system can be used wet - where dust containment is an issue - or dry when the exposed surface is susceptible to corrosion. The company confidently claims that, "it beats all other methods for speed and the low amounts of abrasive used".

As an example Paul Hocky, who started Symblast six years ago, told us: "We can completely remove the antifouling from a 30ft long keel type yacht in about 30-45 minutes using around 25-40kg if done dry."

The residue can then be swept up and the hull pressure washed, he added.

With the use of only grit and water in cleaning systems like that used by Symblast and the further of implementation of potentially stricter regulations as to the constituents in antifoul coatings, the environmental impact of such treatment looks like it will continue to be reduced over the next few years.

What most of the companies would seem to be looking for is a level playing field with rules governing products in one country being the same in the rest of Europe.