Biocides

BiocidesProtecting our health and our environment

Applying our best knowledgefor the benefit of allThe relentless attacks of microorganisms and pests force us to be creative in our defence.Biocides represent a diverse and highly specialised industry, with specialised and essentialuses that provide enormous benefits to us, each day, many of which we take for granted.Biocides are strictly regulated by the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD). The BPD aims toprovide for the highest degree of protection for man and the environment and will establisha harmonised regulatory framework in the EU Member States. All biocidal products placedon the market in Europe must be subject to the same scrutiny by regulatory authorities.Responsible implementation and strict enforcement of the BPD in all Member Statesshould reduce risks to man and the environment equally across the European Community.A harmonised EU market would be established with a competitive biocides industry forthe future. This in turn will provide incentives for producers to develop novel and highlyeffective products with even lower risks and a smaller environmental footprint.In order to ensure a long-term future for European manufacturers and continued progressin terms of effectiveness and environmental protection, it is vital to preserve a robust,competitive base for manufacturing as well as research and development in Europe.The European biocides industry is committed to developing and formulating effectivebiocides that safeguard public health and hygiene while respecting the environment.For more information, contact:Raf BruyndonckxCeficEuropean Biocidal Products ForumTel: 32 2 676 7366rbr@cefic.be

Biocides –beneficial and essentialFor millennia mankind has sought protection against pestsand other organisms which threaten our health, our food, ourenvironment and the places in which we live and work.Our principal defences against these agents of disease anddestruction are known as ‘biocides’. Early biocides includednatural pyrethrum (from Chrysanthemum flowers), bitumen,camphor, vinegar and rose water.In the modern definition, a biocide is a formulation containing oneor more active substances that will – at very small doses – repel,control or destroy harmful organisms.Biocides are essential in our everyday lives for the purposes ofprevention and protection. They are subject to their own set ofregulations and should not be confused with medicinal drugs,used to treat the human body, or with plant protection products,used directly on crops.Biocides have numerous applications with enormous benefits forall of us. In this brochure, we provide you with a few examples.Keeping drinking waterclean – saves thousandsof livesThankfully, the massive outbreaks of typhoid,cholera, dysentery and gastro-enteritis, whichwere so destructive in Europe during theMiddle Ages, are history.Today, the biocides used in water treatmentplants throughout Europe are essential toolsthat ensure our water supplies remain fit fordrinking.But we must not be complacent. Accordingto the World Health Organisation, millionsof people in developing countries, most ofthem children, continue to die every yearfrom diseases due to the lack of safe, cleandrinking water. Indeed, European travellersvisiting such countries add water purificationtablets to their drinking water – they are infact treating the water with biocides.

Keeping insect-bornediseases at bay – putyour health firstInsects can carry life-threatening diseases, andcan attack wooden structures and fabrics. Allof these negative impacts on human existenceare preventable by using specific tailor-madebiocides. Climate change and global trade arecontributing to the spread of disease-carryinginsects. Mild winters associated with climatechange are causing tick populations to thrivein Europe, increasing the occurrence of tickborne diseases such as encephalitis andLyme disease.Hospital, home andshopping hygiene –protecting the young andthe not-so-youngHow often do we find communicablediseases and food poisoning featured inthe evening news? Pathogens, such asbacteria, viruses and fungi, can be found inhomes, restaurants, hospitals, farms, thefood industry, shop floors, supermarketsand elsewhere. These organisms continue todo what comes naturally, - staying alive andreproducing - but as a consequence, they cancause disease.The Asian tiger mosquito is an emergingthreat which carries the risk of exposing moreand more Europeans to the potentially deadlychikungunya virus. Used car tyres and potplants (e.g. lucky bamboo) carrying mosquitoeggs, are imported into Europe. Indeedconcerns have arisen recently in the mediaabout the serious public health threats posedby this mosquito.In hospitals and nursing homes biocidesprotect patients, medical staff and visitorsfrom cross-contamination: it is vital thatinfections are not passed on from personto person. Biocides formulated in cleaningproducts keep domestic kitchens andbathrooms clean and safe.Malaria and dengue fever are major publichealth concerns on a global scale. Many healthprofessionals expect these diseases to gaina foothold in Europe as infected mosquitoesspread north from the more traditional tropicalenvironments. Mosquitoes capable of carryingthe malaria parasite are already present inmost European countries. A very disturbingfact, when you consider that malaria alreadykills 1 to 3 million people each year. Insecticideproducts are needed to provide individualsand local authorities with a comprehensiverange of options to prevent or addressmosquito-borne diseases in Europe.and distributed.We all have a right to enjoy a healthy mealwithout contracting food-poisoning. Inthe restaurant, hotel and catering sector,disinfectants are essential tools that helpto prevent food-poisoning. They maintaingerm-free conditions in places where foodand drink products are prepared, processedControlling urban pests– city kids can breatheeasilyAsthma is a chronic condition affecting 22%of children living in urban areas. Exposureto urban pests (e.g. cockroaches and dustmites) is one of the main factors responsiblefor the rise in asthma. Other urban pestssuch as rats, mice and flies can spreaddiseases and cause illness. An integratedapproach to pest management is essential.The help provided by appropriate activesubstances in biocidal products is a keycomponent of a comprehensive pestcontrol policy.

“The European biocides industry is committed to developing and formulatingbiocides for the protection of public health and the environment.”Making products betterand longer-lasting –sustainable production eeping ships’ hulls cleanKof marine organisms –helps the environmentIn many consumer products, the useof biocides avoids spoilage and biodeterioration.90% of the world’s goods are transported bysea. Ships are among the safest and mostenvironmentally-friendly means of transportavailable today. However, if the ship’s hullis not protected with an effective antifoulingpaint, marine organisms will settle on thehull increasing drag and leading to a potentialincrease in fuel consumption and thus CO2emissions by up to 60%.Take paints for example. They are moreenvironmentally-friendly today because manyare now water-based. But this beneficialfeature requires the addition of smallquantities of biocides to avoid rapid spoilagewhile cans sit on the shelf. For the samereason - preserving commercial formulations- most detergents, adhesives and gluesrequire the addition of small quantitiesof specialised biocides.Likewise, biocides are used in a wide rangeof industrial products and applications toprotect formulations against deteriorationand to keep them fully functional. Considerpolymers such as sealing silicones, inks,insulating polyurethanes, fabrics, concreteproducts, petroleum derivatives andcooling systems. Without a little help fromappropriate biocides, we would consume fargreater amounts of natural resources. Thenet result is that biocides support sustainableproduction and consumption.The use of antifouling coatings, containingbiocides, controls the unwanted growth ofmarine organisms on ships’ hulls leadingto lower carbon footprints for this mode oftransport.Furthermore, a significant concern in themarine environment is the translocationof species from one continent to another.Often organisms use the surface of ships’hulls as a ‘hiding place’ which allows them totranslocate from one region to another. Herethey may multiply and disturb the naturalbalance of organisms already establishedin this new location. The use of antifoulingcoatings helps prevent such imbalance.Preserving wood –is protecting forestsWooden structures provide an attractivehabitat for wood-eating insects and fungi,from the Longhorn beetle to the dry-rotfungus. Selective biocides can help protectwood from such attack. Wooden furnitureand timber present in everything fromwindow frames, wooden panelling to the verystructure of our homes, last much longerbecause they are preserved with biocides which means fewer trees are chopped downand helps ensure more sustainable forestrymanagement.Termites remain among the most destructivepests on the planet. In the U.S., termites domore damage to buildings and homes thanforest fires and tropical storms combined.Wood preservative biocides are the onlyeffective weapons to combat these woodeating insects. Europe has been largely freefrom this pest – but here too, change mightcome: until the 1980s, termites were mainlya problem in France. This is not the caseanymore: termite colonies have spread fromsouth-western France to Paris, and havebeen reported in Spain, Germany, Belgium,Switzerland, Luxembourg and the UK.

Cefic - The European Chemical Industry CouncilChemistry making a world of differenceCefic is the Brussels-based organisation representing national chemical federations and chemical companies in Europe.Cefic represents, directly or indirectly, around 27,000 large, medium and small companies in Europe, which employ about1.2 million people and account for more than 29% of world chemicals production. Cefic – September 2009Dépot legal D/3158/2009/2CeficAvenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4B - 1160 Brusselstel 32 2 676 72 11fax 32 2 676 73 00mail@cefic.bewww.cefic.org

appropriate biocides, we would consume far greater amounts of natural resources. The net result is that biocides support sustainable production and consumption. Keeping ships’ hulls clean of marine organisms – helps the environment 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea. Ships are among the safest and most