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What is a biocide?
Why do we
need biocides?
Why are
biocides specifically regulated, which problems do they cause?
The 23 biocidal
product types in the EU
Risk assessment
for authorisation of biocidal products
EU regulations:
rise of level of protection?
Information Leaflet - Biocidal Products in
Austria
Biocides General Information
What is a biocide?
In mean of the word life destroying (organic life destroying), biocides are chemical substances or microorganisms mostly environmental toxics, which can
solve a problem faster than the nature itself could ( if the natural balance would be in danger and there would be need for natural contra strategy).
Typical examples: Disinfectants, Conservatives, Wood preservatives, Rodenticides, Insecticides, Insect Defense or attractans (repellents)
According to their legal mean, biocides are mainly used in household areas.
A lot of biocides are also used in agriculture for plant protection (plant protection materials); the agricultural use is subject to the plant protection material law.
The EU biocides products guidline defines the biocides products as followed:
Active substances and preperations, which indicate one or more than one active substance in the form they attain to the consumer, which are determind to
destroy harmful organisms, to deter and harmless them, to detain damage caused by them or to controvert them in another way.
Why do we need biocides?
Biocides are used against germ defense and fungus affections etc. for prevention against harmful organisms and for abolition of damages, for real or
mostly only for pretended rise of life quality, in the last case biocides fulfil civilizing needs.
Why are biocides specifically regulated which problems do they cause?
Most biocidal substances are highly reactive. If they are not used under controlled terms, their use can bring risks for human health (keyword: allergies, asthma attacks
and chronic damages) and the environment (sewage treatment plants). Caution is also bidden by biocides which have a natural derivation (for example: allergies can be caused by essences of particular plants).
Because of their specific biological reactive the assessment of biocides needs to be done by high specialised experts.
Imported is the question which remedies/substances should be used by professional experts and which can also be used by usual citiziens.
We dont need no wideband killlers, but special created products for the solution of individual problems.
The 23 product types in the EU Biocidal Products Directive
MAIN GROUP 1: Disinfectants and general biocidal products
These product types exclude cleaning products that are not intended to have a biocidal effect, including washing liquids, powders and
similar products.
Product-type 1: Human hygiene biocidal products
Products in this group are biocidal products used for human hygiene purposes.
Product-type 2: Private area and public health area disinfectants and other biocidal products
Products used for the disinfection of air, surfaces, materials, equipment and furniture which are not used for direct food or feed contact in private, public and
industrial areas, including hospitals, as well as products used as algaecides.
Usage areas include, inter alia, swimming pools, aquariums, bathing and other waters; air-conditioning systems; walls and floors in health and other institutions; chemical toilets, waste water, hospital waste, soil or other
substrates (in playgrounds).
Product-type 3: Veterinary hygiene biocidal products
Products in this group are biocidal products used for veterinary hygiene purposes including products used in areas in which animals are housed, kept or transported.
Product-type 4: Food and feed area disinfectants
Products used for the disinfection of equipment, containers, consumption utensils, surfaces or pipework associated with the production, transport, storage or
consumption of food, feed or drink (including drinking water) for humans and animals.
Product-type 5: Drinking water disinfectants
Products used for the disinfection of drinking water (for both humans and animals).
MAIN GROUP 2: Preservatives
Product-type 6: In-can preservatives
Products used for the preservation of manufactured products, other than foodstuffs or feeding stuffs, in containers by the control of microbial deterioration to ensure
their shelf life.
Product-type 7: Film preservatives
Products used for the preservation of films or coatings by the control of microbial deterioration in order to protect the initial properties of the surface of materials
or objects such as paints, plastics, sealants, wall adhesives, binders, papers, art works.
Product-type 8: Wood preservatives
Products used for the preservation of wood, from and including the saw-mill stage, or wood products by the control of wood-destroying or wood-disfiguring organisms.
This product type includes both preventive and curative products.
Product-type 9: Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives
Products used for the preservation of fibrous or polymerised materials, such as leather, rubber or paper or textile products and rubber by the control of
microbiological deterioration.
Product-type 10: Masonry preservatives
Products used for preservation and remedial treatment of masonry or other construction materials other than wood by the control of microbiological and algal attack.
Product-type 11: Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems
Products used for the preservation of water or other liquids used in cooling and processing systems by the control of harmful organisms such as microbes, algae and
mussels.
Products used for the preservation of drinking water are not included in this product type.
Product-type 12: Slimicides
Products used for the prevention or control of slime growth on materials, equipment and structures, used in industrial processes, e.g. on wood and paper pulp, porous
sand strata in oil extraction.
Product-type 13: Metalworking-fluid preservatives
Products used for the preservation of metalworking fluids by the control of microbial deterioration.
MAIN GROUP 3: Pest control
Product-type 14: Rodenticides
Products used for the control of mice, rats or other rodents.
Product-type 15: Avicides
Products used for the control of birds.
Product-type 16: Molluscicides
Products used for the control of molluscs.
Product-type 17: Piscicides
Products used for the control of fish; these products exclude products for the treatment of fish diseases.
Product-type 18: Insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods
Products used for the control of arthropods (e.g. insects, arachnids and crustaceans).
Product-type 19: Repellents and attractants
Products used to control harmful organisms (invertebrates such as fleas, vertebrates such as birds), by repelling or attracting, including those that are used for human
or veterinary hygiene either directly or indirectly.
MAIN GROUP 4: Other biocidal products
Product-type 20: Preservatives for food or feedstocks
Products used for the preservation of food or feedstocks by the control of harmful organisms.
Product-type 21: Antifouling products
Products used to control the growth and settlement of fouling organisms (microbes and higher forms of plant or animal species) on vessels, aquaculture equipment or
other structures used in water.
Product-type 22: Embalming and taxidermist fluids
Products used for the disinfection and preservation of human or animal corpses, or parts thereof.
Product-type 23: Control of other vertebrates
Products used for the control of vermin.
Risk assessment for authorisation of biocidal products
A risk assessment gives answers to the questions how big the risk is, how profoundly the effects are and in which probability they occur. Eine Risikobewertung get im The
risk assessment of a biocidal product in its intended use, for the product permission or registration is based on a detailed use and effects of analysis and on scientific methods.
 In a first step the danger potential is ascertained, because of its physical-chemical, toxic (f.e. poisonoussness) properties and
hazardousness to the environment.
Also sequences like f.e. the accumulation of a substance in the mothermilk get attention.
Used are testguidliness that are internationally approved and harmonised. Es
In a second step there is a appraisal of the exposure (dimesion of contact during use) for users, the respective population group, and the
environment. l
From the danger potential proportion of the products to the expected exposure, the risk which is aligned with the product use is ascertained.
For some dangerous products it might have the sequence that from now on they can only be used by professionals.
Also the Cost- benefit analysis, which include the efficiency and the indispensability/essentiality of the product decides which risk can be accepted.
Auch
Here counts the guiding principle : The more less the use of a product is, the lower has to be its risk.
With this, the use of products like disinfectants in private households could be deleted.
EU regulations: rise of level of protection?
In the EU an EU-wide review programme for biocidal substances that are already on the market in biocidal products has started in the
year 2000. These program should be finalised in 2010 and has the purpose to to establish a total register of all substances which are principly allowed in biocidal products.
With a delay of 3 years, parallel to this EU progamme for substances, gradual on national level for biocidal products are permitted. Also for this
national procedure there are EU-wide applicable guidlines.
Presently in all EU - Member States temporary regulations are acting, f.e. national authorisation regulations, labelling and reporting procedures which
ensure no high protection niveau like it is achieved from the EU Review Programme and the common principles for national product-authorisation.
With the authorisation procedures on the basis of the EU total list it comes to a rise of the protection niveau, because permitted products have
to last a rigorous assessment.
Upgrades for user bring also special labelling regulations for biocidal products and special promotion restrictions with them. (belittlement not allowed, standard
sentence in every promotion for a biocidal product)
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