How can we handle microbial growth in paints in light of upcoming biocide legislation in Europe?

 
In the years ahead the European Union is planning tough legislation for the use of biocides in paints. The reason is the debate about allergens in waterborne paints. The risk is of course that using biocide concentrations below the minimum inhibition concentration for resistance towards microbial growth in the paint can and in the paint film will lead to increased growth of these organisms. At RISE Research Institutes of Sweden we are conducting research to inhibit microbial growth by making the living conditions less pleasant for the microbes. We can identify three key areas to follow in this case: 1) The production of waterborne paints until the paints are stored in a closed can; 2) The use of an opened can and storage of that 3) The paint film after application. We will in this presentation discuss how we handle this challenge for each identified key area.