Pesticides, Biocides, Plant Protection Products
The term "pesticide" originally comes from the word "pest". A pesticide is an agent used to control pests.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
According to the definition by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pesticides are substances or mixtures of substances consisting of chemical or biological ingredients intended for repelling and controlling pests, diseases, and weeds, as well as plant growth regulators. Pesticides can be subdivided into biocides and plant protection products.
This definition also corresponds to the explanations of terms for pesticides and plant protection products in the European Union (EFSA, EU directives).
Biocides
Biocides are chemicals or microorganisms used to control pests. They act in a chemical or biological manner. They are also referred to as non-agricultural pesticides because, unlike plant protection products, they are not used in the cultivation of plants. Biocides can be divided into four main groups: disinfectants, preservatives, pest control products, and other biocidal products.
Examples of biocides include:
- Insect sprays, insect vaporizers, or repellents to kill or repel mosquitoes and prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria or dengue fever. They are also used to protect livestock from bothersome insects.
- Dog or cat collars to repel ticks and fleas.
- Disinfectants to protect food (e.g., during transport via shipping containers) or for hand sanitizing in food processing plants.
- Ant baits or rat poison.
- Read more about biocides here
Good to know
If, for example, a fungicide or an insecticide is used to protect humans (for instance, as protection against insect-borne illnesses like malaria or other tropical diseases), it is not a plant protection product, but a biocide. If a fungicide or insecticide is used to protect plants, it is a plant protection product. In both cases, it is a pesticide.
Sources
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