Thesis: Anna Veilleux
An Evaluation of Fish Oil as a Low Environmental Impact Alternative Paint Binder System: A Review of North American Fish Oil Production and Use
This thesis explores the feasibility of reintroducing Atlantic Cod-liver (Gadus morhua) and Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) oil as a low-environment-impact alternative to conventional polymer-based paint binders. The architectural paint formulations commonly used in North America heavily depend on petroleum-based compounds and organic solvents that are non-biodegradable, contribute significantly to pollution, and contain substances detrimental to the health of humans and wildlife. A compelling alternative to this system emerges through an examination of the history of fish oil, tracing its origins from Indigenous precontact practices to a primary ingredient in the height of industrial scale 20th-century production.