In an interview, Joe Ferrara, Commercial Director, Dow Microbial Control for EMEAI with Chemical Today Magazine discusses the global biocides business, which is growing with urbanization, socioeconomic development and industrialization. He also talks about how India stands as a prominent region of growth for the industry.
By Shivani Mody
Global trends for the biocides industry.
Microbes will grow wherever they can find food and water. Biocides, sometimes also referred to as preservatives or bactericides, are used to control their growth and help prevent the harmful effects of microbial contamination in various industries, ranging from paints & coatings to oilfield processes.
The global biocide market is estimated at $6.5 billion and the demand for biocides increases with global trends such as urbanization, socioeconomic development and industrialization. This can be seen for example in the building and construction market: as construction increases, so does the need to protect building materials, including paint with sustainable solutions from microbial contamination.
The challenge the biocides industry faces is the ever-changing regulatory landscape. That is where customers can really benefit from a supplier like Dow with our vast regulatory expertise across the globe.
Sectors with growth potential for biocides industry.
One of the key sectors that will continue to grow is construction, which calls for a need to preserve paints, coatings and building materials. Another area that will show rapid development is the hygiene market: here biocides can help prevent the formation of odor in textiles, or offer surface disinfection in food processing plants and hospitals.
While biocides are used for product preservation, they are also used to protect processes: An increase in water desalination through membranes will positively impact the growth of biocides sector, as microbial control solutions are used to protect the membranes from biofouling. Here it is especially important that non-carcinogenic biocides are used, to not have corrosive and destructive impact on the assets. The same applies for protecting oilfield operations, where we see that readily biodegradable glutaraldehyde, one of the most versatile biocides on the market today, can offer microbial control without the negative impacts of a carcinogenic biocide.
Biocides market in India.
In recent years, India has enjoyed remarkable economic progress, which increased demand in construction, energy and consumer products. These industries in turn drive growth of markets such as paints & coatings, latex, adhesives, construction materials etc.
The most important market for biocides in India is in material preservation, especially in the area of infrastructure. Many of the different climates in India help make building materials into ideal breeding grounds for microbes. Combined with increasing regulation, the biocide industry is under pressure to bring solutions to the marked that meet efficacy, sustainability and economic needs.
The exploration of energy will slowly catch up in terms of opportunities for biocides increased drilling and oil production. Due to the large volumes of water used in this process, the demand for biocides is linked to this sector as well.
The trend of increased regulation and standardization will lead to the increased use of sustainable and cost-effective solutions and away from carcinogenic biocides.
Having an edge over local manufacturing players.
Dow Microbial Control is a world leading provider of biocide and antimicrobial solutions for a wide range of industries all around the globe. We understand that microbial control issues are very local in nature, and therefore have customer application centres in 12 locations around the globe, including in Mumbai, India and Dubai, UAE. Our customers in India further benefit from locally manufactured biocides. Our broad, high-performing portfolio, coupled with our unmatched expertise in regulatory frameworks, product stewardship, toxicology and product application sets Dow Microbial Control apart from other biocide suppliers.
Future of biocides against advancement of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology has its own pros and cons. We do not anticipate this technology to replace the need for biocides in the near future.
Dow’s biocides business and growth plans.
Dow Microbial Control in India has been growing considerably year to year. We foresee tremendous potential in the market and will aggressively continue to seek opportunities for growth. Our local technical support and manufacturing will allow us to continue to meet our customers’ needs in various industries.
For oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides - prominent group for the company.
Dow Microbial Control’s product portfolio consists only of non-oxidizing biocides, because we believe in providing not only effective but also sustainable solutions. We care about our customer’s asset and do not recommend corrosive or environmentally harmful chemistries.
Challenges with misconceptions surrounding biocides
Microbial control is complex in nature and there are many misconceptions in the market place. Dow Microbial Control takes an active role in educating the market based on science. Thank you for the opportunity to bust a myth: solid DBNPA does act similar to the typical halogen biocides, but does not convert to oxidizing biocide in any process. It is one of the most commonly used biocides, and when used according to safe use and handling practices, it is safe to use. Our portfolio is based on sustainable solutions and includes DBNPA as AQUCAR™ DB 100.
Tackling gram-positive and gram-negative biocides.
The biocides that we offer, including DBNPA and glutaraldehyde, are broad spectrum biocides, which means they are effective against both Gram positive and negative microbes. We do not supply selective biocides as they normally do not meet the needs of the industry.
Biocides resistant to microbial immunity.
Immunity or resistance against industrial biocide including glutaraldehyde, isothiozolones, and DBNPA are another myth. These biocides attack microbes using various mechanism and at various areas on the bacterial cell. Hence it is very rare for microorganisms to genetically mutate. Industrial biocides are not like antibiotics, which have specific site based action on the bacterial cell. When a biocidal treatment is ineffective, it is either when the active isn’t dosed appropriately, it is added with incompatible chemistries or at wrong points in the process.
Regarding R&D and innovation for biocides.
In Dow Microbial Control we are committed to Advanced Sustainable Microbial Control by developing and offering chemistries that do their job effectively and then go away, without doing harm to human health or the environment. We are one of the leaders in applications science, employing advanced microbiology techniques to innovate for real-world conditions. We are driven to continually develop new technologies and advanced sustainable solutions, new actives and advanced diagnostics.
An example is SILVADUR™ - The award-winning intelligent antimicrobial that keeps textiles fresh and odour-free. Our TAUNOVATE High-Throughput (HTP) test method is a powerful tool that allows you to get the right biocide for your formulation—at the right concentration. You can achieve excellent operational performance within a more efficient time frame and with remarkable cost savings compared to other test methods.
Biodegradable biocide solutions used in oil & gas and water industry.
Glutaraldehyde is readily biodegradable according to OECD 301. It is one of the most effective and versatile molecules available, offering effective and safe microbial control in oil & gas operations. It is also well-suited for treating water flood injection water; drilling, completion, workover and fracturing fluids; produced waters; oil and gas transmission lines; gas storage wells and hydrocarbon storage facilities; and production wells.
A very important point in this context is that not all glutaraldehyde that you get in India from Far East or local manufacturer is truly genuine glutaraldehyde. There are non-genuine products, mixed with less effective aldehydes such as formaldehyde or glyoxal, but labeled deceptively as glutaraldehyde available in the marketplace. GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE has a long safety record and its proper use is well documented. Use of non-genuine glutaraldehyde blends may place products, workers, processes, equipment and the environment in harm’s way.
Challenges faced by the biocides manufacturers globally.
Increasingly stringent regulations are driving the biocide industry to innovate. In unregulated countries, increased competition and cheaper chemistries are deteriorating the value of these specialty molecules. In times of great cost pressures, we see cheaper, less effective and unsafe chemistries gaining share, jeopardizing effective microbial control, the integrity of assets and the reputation of brands. We see how our product and application expertise helps our customers get a cutting edge over their competitors by implementing microbial control properly with sustainable solutions.
India still has to undergo regulatory and registration changes. Once in effect, biocides will again be regarded as a specialty chemical and not simply a box checking exercise.
© Chemical Today Magazine
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