Biocides and plant protection products

Chemical agents against harmful organisms and for plant protection

The term ‘biocide‘ refers to any substance or mixture, which is supplied to the user with the intention of destroying, deterring, rendering harmless, preventing the action of, or otherwise exerting a controlling effect on, any harmful organism by any means other than mere physical or mechanical action.
In this context, harmful organisms are defined as organism, including pathogenic agents, which, by their increased occurrence, have a detrimental effect on humans, animals or the environment, or affect the quality of products (e.g., foodstuffs, textiles, vessels or masonry), or processes (e.g. drinking water processing, food production).

This definition excludes products which are used in plant protection (plant protection products). However, a number of active ingredients are used in both, biocidal products and plant protection products.

European regulations regarding these substance groups are the biocide regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012) and the regulation on plant protection products (Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009).

The active ingredients of biocidal products and their metabolites may be persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative and toxic also to non-target organisms.

Substances

Specimen

Sampling area

Sampling period

1992 - 2017