Sequential Sea Lice Treatment Reduces Toxic Exposure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current chemical treatments for sea lice infestation in aquaculture, such as organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids, pose toxic risks to both fish and human workers, and their use can lead to environmental contamination due to non-juvenile fish being treated in cages.

Innovation Solution

A sequential topical treatment method for farmed fish involving a carbamate or organophosphate followed by a pyrethroid or pyrethrin, applied 10 minutes to 12 hours apart, to combat multicellular ectoparasites like sea lice, with the first agent being introduced into the aquatic environment before the second, reducing exposure to potentially toxic chemicals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If organophosphates or pyrethroids are used to treat sea lice infestation, then the effectiveness of combating ectoparasites is improved, but the toxic exposure risk to fish and workers increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness of sea lice treatmentVSAvoidtoxic exposure risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment is divided into multiple sequential stages using different chemical classes (organophosphate/carbamate first, then pyrethroid/pyrethrin). This segmentation allows each chemical to be applied at optimized intervals, reducing overall toxic exposure while maintaining treatment effectiveness against sea lice infestation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first chemical treatment (organophosphate or carbamate) is applied preliminarily before the second treatment (pyrethroid or pyrethrin). This preliminary action reduces the sea lice population and prepares the system for the second treatment, thereby reducing the required dose and toxic exposure from subsequent applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If chemical treatments are applied to non-juvenile fish in cages, then the sea lice infestation is controlled, but environmental contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol of sea lice infestationVSAvoidenvironmental contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment protocol segments the application of different chemical classes with time intervals between them. This segmentation reduces the cumulative chemical load released into the environment while maintaining effective sea lice control through sequential action of multiple agents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The method allows for discarding the first chemical agent before applying the second, ensuring that residual amounts of the first agent are minimized in the environment before the second treatment begins. This reduces overall environmental contamination from any single chemical.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP2178378B2Method of combating sea lice

Publication Date: 2020.10.21 NETTFORSK AS

AI summary

The invention provides a method of treatment of farmed fish to combat infestation by multicellular ectoparasites with exoskeletons, which method comprises topically exposing farmed fish, especially salmon in sea cages, to a first and a second sea lice treatment agent, said first sea lice treatment agent being a carbamate or organophosphate and said second sea lice treatment agent being a pyrethroid or pyrethrin.