Biocidal products are pesticide products containing biological components such as microorganisms, plant products, or natural substances. These products are used for the control of harmful organisms, especially for the management of pests and disease agents. However, the use of biocidal products can potentially have harmful effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, the safety and efficacy of these products need to be assessed.
To approve a biocidal product, the health of individuals who come into contact with the product or its residues and use them correctly and for their intended purpose must be ensured. This is why a risk assessment of biocidal products is necessary. According to the Biocidal Products Regulation, the result of the risk assessment is used to prepare a biocidal product risk assessment report in accordance with Annex VI of the same regulation. This report is one of the documents submitted to the Ministry in biocidal product license applications and includes the following headings:
Investigation of the adverse effects that may arise as a result of the use of biocidal products.
Examination of the dose amount of the active or substances of concern in the content of the biocidal product exposed and the responses caused by these substances.
Estimation of human health and environmental exposure for active and substances of concern in the biocidal product, calculation of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) values for human health exposure routes and environmental compartments.
Calculation of risk characterisation ratios (RCR) of the hazards caused by active and substances of concern in the biocidal product content for human health and environmental compartments and evaluation of the severity of these adverse effects.
