COMBASE

Biocides are used in the treatment of damaging biological growth. However, not only do they kill pathogens, they also kill non-pathogens, meaning they may have undesirable side effects harming human health and/or the environment. For instance, in the service life phase, when released to the different environmental compartments (soil, surface waters, groundwater and air, depending on the actual use of the biocidal product), the active substances undergo a series of degradation reactions generating metabolites, transformation or reaction products that might significantly differ from the parent compounds in terms of their associated toxicity.
Considering the impact of active substances used in biocidal products and the metabolites, degradation and transformation products released to the environment during the application and service life phases, novel tools are necessary for the identification and substitution of biocides of ecotoxicological concern under an integrated life cycle perspective.
The use of non-animal alternative test methods has been foreseen in the Biocides Product Regulation, Regulation (EU) 258/2012 (BPR). The widespread use of non-testing methods (NTM) would help SMEs identifying, amongst other, the so called metabolites of ecotoxicological concern whereas facilitating the registering of biocidal active substances within the BPR and reducing animal testing.
The main target of the LIFE-COMBASE Project is to promote the sustainable use of biocidal active substances from a life cycle perspective. To this end, an on-line information system based on the combination of evidence based decision support systems (EBDSS) and proven computational toxicology modelling approaches will be implemented.

See all news
NEWS/EVENTS
24/02/2020
» Completion of the LIFE-COMBASE Project

The LIFE-COMBASE Project has been completed on the 30th September, 2019. Within the framework of the project, computational models have been developed specifically for biocidal active substances that allow estimating the impact of this type of substances on freshwater organisms. The data available for the development of the models (information in publications and international databases) have been complemented with experimental assays, providing new information regarding biocidal active substances and their metabolites of environmental relevance. The developed models have been implemented in consolidated tools in the area of computational toxicology (such as VEGA or ToxRead) as well as in a tool specifically developed within the project conceived to speed up the decision making process for the selection of active substances biocides with less environmental impact (http://webtool.life-combase.com). In addition, the project has tried to bring non-testing methods to potential users, including the industrial and academic sector, having developed a series of online training materials as well as several seminars, workshops and meetings. The videos of the project are accessible from: ; and .

31/10/2019
» New dissemination materials now available

Different sections of the website have been updated. Under the “Publications” section, the updated list of speakers participating in the three project workshops that have been organized throughout the project and access to their corresponding presentations (if accessible) have been included, a new section to access the Layman’s report synthesizing the main outputs of the project and providing some insights on project’s impact form environmental, social and economic perspective has been created too. Additionally, a new section will soon be made available providing free access to project videos that describe both the LIFE COMBASE Webtool and the Mobile APP developed within the project.

30/10/2019
» Third international workshop of LIFE-COMBASE

The third and final workshop of the Project took place in Madrid on the 24th September 2019. In the event, ECHA and JRC representatives in addition to representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare and the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition, participated as speakers introducing the use of computational based approaches in the approval of biocidal active substances and biocidal products from a regulatory perspective. Project beneficiaries presented a general overview of the results obtained all throughout the project. How LIFE-COMBASE contributes towards a more sustainable approach in the biocides value chain was also introduced to the audience. Presentations are now available under the Publications section of the website (Workshops and presentations).