Biocides: Strong Pressure
The Biocide User Task Force of CEPE is working on various advocacy efforts to defend the biocide use in paints, printing inks and artists’ colours. We spoke with Anu Passinen, Chair of the Biocide User Task Force about latest developments.
What are the tasks and projects of the Task Force?
Anu Passinen: Waterborne paints and printing inks require in-can protection, and exterior paints are protected by fungicides and algaecides. The use of both types is challenged as one-by-one legislative actions are threatening to eliminate actives or limit their use in consumer paints down to levels which are not any more effective.
We monitor this development, analyse the potential impact and liaise with biocide suppliers defending their substances and products under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). Treated articles (wet paint or ink containing in-can or dry-film preservatives) and the biocide actives used are our main interest. We are concerned about the future availability of ‘preservative tools’ for in-can and dry-film preservation. We have advocated our concerns towards the Biocide Authorities.
CEPE and other associations have also met with the EU Commission. What we are asking the authorities is to take a holistic approach, so that a reasonable variety of biocide actives could be used. Unfortunately, there seems to be no political support for biocides but a strong pressure to stop all use. A positive sign is that we have been asked to give more information on biocides in our products. With other industries we continue to present why biocides are needed, the consequences of a lack of alternatives and what has been done to find solutions to avoid biocide usage.
The Biocide User Task Force has done a survey on PT6 and PT7 substances, what were the results?
Passinen: The survey has confirmed that the number of used biocide substances is limited regardless of the number of notified substances. All notified substances are not meant for long-term protection. A long list creates a wrong image of wide selection of alternatives. Without protection with the essential substances, there is a risk of contamination, which may lead to more waste and spillage of resources. The fewer substances, the higher the tonnage of the remaining ones, leading to increased exposures of humans and the environment as well as the risk that the microbes develop resistance towards the remaining biocides.
Book tip:
The new book Microbicides in Coatings from Frank Sauer provides a comprehensive overview of the working mechanisms and possible applications of microbicides for coatings.
