Can I be poisoned scrubbing my boat's bottom?

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

That is a tired, worn out argument that in no way justifies intentionally polluting a marina or anchorage. Boaters should be part of the solution, not the problem.

The argument will be “worn out” when municipalities stop polluting. Of course we should all do our part! And it would be best met by ensuring muni waste is given top priority in the budget

[Puddleduck]

Originally Posted by gamayun

It's so much easier to get heavy metal exposure from sanding and painting a boat than scrubbing the slime and barnacles. If ya'll can't believe people can get sick from bacteria like E. coli in an anchorage, then do a Google search on norovirus.

Agree re bacteria but...

Barnacles are filter feeders, they’ll eat whatever floats past providing it’s the right size...algae, bacteria, dinoflagellates, Cyanobacteria, it’s all yummy to them

If you’ve been anchored in a sewage filled bay for a while, what do you think your barnacles are full of? Little pooh filled balloons waiting to burst. Hooka, scuba or free diving is not so much of an issue as your less likely to ingest contaminated water as you would snorkelling.

There are a lot of studies relating to this.

Samples of water and barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite were collected from Recife, Brazil, to assess if it accumulates total (TC) and thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) related with sewage pollution. The Most Probable Number (MPN) values and the standard procedures for examination of shellfish were used. Comparatively with the water samples, the highest coliform values came from the barnacles, with TC values ranging from < 3.0 × 103 to > 2.4 × 106 MPN.g-1, and TTC ranging from > 2.4 × 103 to 2.9 × 105 MPN.g-1. Barnacles accumulate the TC Ewingella americana, and the TTC Escherichia coli, Enterobacter gergoviae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter sakazakii. The results provided an indication of the level of organic contamination at the sampling locations and that this species could be a good organic pollution bioindicator.

Coliform accumulation in Amphibalanus amphitrite (Darwin, 1854) (Cirripedia) and its use as an organic pollution bioindicator in the estuarine area of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

barnacles living on the surface of mussels represent a potential bacterial reservoir within shellfish beds and assesses their potential as a vector for human pathogen transfer.

https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-...032.0233.short

[billdomb]

[QUOTE=polaris2.11;2909621
We are in the Bahamas and I have been giving the bottom a scrub about every three weeks or so over the past 4 months, but this the first time I have had symptoms. Maybe just a tummy bug, but I cannot remember the last time I had intestinal trouble...

[/QUOTE]

Consider an intestinal probiotic or items like kimchee, sauerkraut, some yogurts, kefir.

[Kenomac]

The guy picked up a bug, most likely the Norovirus from touching something somewhere, it’ll pass in 36-48 hours. As always, so much speculation and boneheaded misinformation passed on in these ridiculous threads. Yes, I’m a registered nurse whose very familiar with stomach bugs.

No its not the bottom paint, no its not poop in the water and NO.... a probiotic is the very LAST thing he needs at this moment in time.

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by polaris2.11

Cleaned the hull yesterday. Free diving with snorkel. Used a scrub brush. Light fouling.

Woke up in the night with abdominal pain, headache and diahhrea. Still feeling quite ill. Google suggests these symptoms might be consistent with copper poisoning.

We are in the Bahamas and I have been giving the bottom a scrub about every three weeks or so over the past 4 months, but this the first time I have had symptoms. Maybe just a tummy bug, but I cannot remember the last time I had intestinal trouble...

Is it possible I have poisoned myself?

If you where free diving in Marsh Harbor ..then possibly...

[guthrie101]

polaris, you are appalled at baoters discharging. you must have been no where in the world as all the cities in the Caribbean discharge directly. one sailor terd is nothing compared to a whale terd. also you dont have copper poison as i had a buddy sweating blue for a week after sanding and he never got sick.