Biological testing of aqueous-based metal preservation technologies

This paper deals with an essential issue of safe methods for temporary metal products protection against corrosion. Nowadays, there are a lot of corrosion inhibitors available; however, most of them are based on chemically hazardous derivatives of amines, nitrites, and chromates contained therein. The listed substances negatively affect both people and the environment. In Arctic weather conditions it is especially important to have reliable and safe anti-corrosion systems that can be applied in marine equipment preservation technologies. It is extremely undesirable to make any repairs and painting works under Arctic conditions, any restoration paintwork of metal items, as well as number of unpainted metal items to be protected must be minimized. The safest preservation methods are aqueous solutions; with such solutions, metal structures to be protected in Arctic conditions either do not need any preparatory preserving agent washing off, or washing off is ultimately simplified. This paper presents wide-spread inhibitors and inhibitors synthesized from safe natural fatty acids of vegetable oils. The article considers their characteristics and applicability. Also, the paper determines environmental hazard classes of aqueous preservation solutions by using biological testing objects. It allows us to assess a hazard level of the applied preservation method, regardless of how substances or combination thereof cause changes in vital functions of the testing objects. Based on the experiments conducted, the article discusses a possibility of using low-hazard preservation methods.