Established Products and New Limits in Agrochemicals and Biocides

Agrochemicals are increasingly subject to recertification as new regulations are introduced annually. Even long-established products must now provide updated impurity data, often with stricter limits than before.

A notable example includes fertilizers (Regulation EU 2019/1009) as well as copper and sulfur formulations (Regulation EU 1107/2009), which are widely used in both conventional and organic agriculture. Unlike before, current regulations require metal impurity analyses for both technical and formulated products. These analyses demand detection limits below parts per billion (ppb) and must contend with highly complex matrices. Additionally, even already registered products must comply with the latest requirements by submitting new data.

Similarly, biocide formulations, such as those containing hydrogen peroxide, are now subject to stricter metal content limits under the Biocide Regulation EU 528/2012.

These increasingly stringent limits pose challenges for traditional instrumentation like Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Optical ICP, which are no longer adequate for such precise analyses. This shift often forces laboratories to outsource testing to third-party providers, resulting in longer turnaround times and higher costs.

Renolab addresses these challenges with its state-of-the-art ICP-MS technology. This advanced instrumentation ensures reliable, accurate, and rapid analysis, even for metals in complex matrices. By utilizing ICP-MS, Renolab can perform these analyses in days rather than weeks, eliminating the need for external outsourcing.

In addition to metal content analysis, Renolab offers a comprehensive suite of services for the characterization and registration of agrochemicals and biocides, providing a complete solution to meet evolving regulatory demands.

About Renolab s.r.l.

Renolab is a highly specialized analytical laboratory with extensive experience in conducting analyses in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards. The laboratory adheres to the directives of the Italian Ministry of Health for chemical and physical characterizations, as well as residue studies on agrochemicals, biocides, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, additives, and other industrial chemical products.

Renolab’s microbiological studies are carried out in accordance with OECD principles, European directives, and Italian regulations, ensuring the highest standards of reliability and compliance. For more information, please visit https://www.renolab-glp.com