REGULATORY CONTROLS ON BIOCIDES IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF TRIORGANOTIN-CONTAINING ANTIFOULING PRODUCTS

In the United Kingdom biocides are currently subject to the general co ntrols on chemicals, unless they ave defined as pesticides under The F ood and Environment Protection Act 1985 (IT;EPA) and The Control of Pe sticides Regulations 1986 (COPR). In both eases there ave duties on th e supplier to provide hazard information concerning safety for man and the environment and on the user at work to use chemicals safely. Addi tionally, under FEPA and COPR, a supplier must obtain an approval befo re a product can be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used as a pe sticide and must provide information demonstrating efficacy. The user must comply with the general Consents and any specific conditions rela ting to the approval. Because of concerns over the environment, partic ularly developmental effects in shellfish, uses of triorganotin-contai ning antifouling products have been restricted in order to reduce the environmental load As a consequence of these restrictions no triorgano tin-containing antifouling product can now be used on vessels below 25 m in overall length or on fish farm equipment and only tributyltin co polymer products containing <1% free tributyltin oxide (TBTO) are now available for the remaining uses. Additionally, further guidelines for the painting and removal of antifouling products are being made avail able. However, their use remains subject to continuing review.