To ensure sustainable use of antifouling paints, the European Union have developed a new environmental risk assessment tool, which a product must pass prior to its placement on the market. In this new tool, environmental concentrations are predicted based on estimated release rates of biocides to the aquatic environment and risk characterization ratios are calculated in regional spreadsheets. There are currently two methods in use to predict release rates of biocides; a calculation method and a laboratory method. These methods have been believed to overestimate environmental release of biocides and therefore fixed correction factors to reduce the release rate can be applied. An alternative method, known as the XRF method, has recently been developed and used to derive field release rates from antifouling paints. The aim of this study was to review the new environmental risk assessment tool and assess how the choice of release rate method and application of correction factors impact the approval of antifouling paint products. Eight coatings were environmentally risk assessed for usage in four European marine regions; Baltic, Baltic Transition, Atlantic and Mediterranean; by applying release rates of copper and zinc determined with the different methods. The results showed none of the coatings to pass the environmental risk assessment in the Baltic, Baltic Transition and the Mediterranean if field release rates were used. In contrast, most of the coatings passed if the correction factors were applied on the release rates obtained with the calculation or laboratory method. The results demonstrate the importance of release rate method choice on the outcome of antifouling product approval in EU. To reduce the impact of antifouling paints on the marine environment it is recommended that no correction factors should be allowed in the environmental risk assessment or preferably that site-specific field release rates are used. If the regulation in the European Union (and elsewhere) continues to allow correction factors, the pressure of biocides to the environment from leisure boating will result in degradation of marine ecosystems.

为了确保可持续使用防污涂料，欧盟已经开发了一种新的环境风险评估工具，产品在投放市场之前必须通过该工具。在这种新工具中，可根据杀菌剂对水生环境的估计释放速率预测环境浓度，并在区域电子表格中计算风险特征比。当前，有两种方法可用于预测杀生物剂的释放速率：计算方法和实验室方法。据信这些方法高估了杀生物剂的环境释放，因此可以采用固定的校正因子来降低释放速率。最近已经开发出另一种方法，称为XRF方法，并用于从防污涂料中得出场释放速率。这项研究的目的是审查新的环境风险评估工具，并评估释放速率方法的选择和校正因子的应用如何影响防污涂料产品的批准。评估了八种涂料在欧洲四个海洋地区使用的环境风险；波罗的海，波罗的海过渡，大西洋和地中海；通过应用用不同方法确定的铜和锌释放速率来确定。结果表明，如果使用田间释放速率，则没有一种涂料在波罗的海，波罗的海过渡带和地中海地区通过环境风险评估。相反，如果将校正因子应用于通过计算或实验室方法获得的释放速率，则大多数涂料都可以通过。结果表明释放速率方法选择对欧盟防污产品批准结果的重要性。为了减少防污漆对海洋环境的影响，建议在环境风险评估中不允许使用任何校正因子，或者最好使用特定于现场的释放速率。如果欧盟（和其他地方）的法规继续允许修正因素，休闲游船对环境造成的杀菌剂压力将导致海洋生态系统退化。