Overview of pesticides and their use

Areas of application - crop protection products and biocidal products

Two EU directives divide pesticides into crop protection products (crop pesticides) and biocidal products (for example impregnation compounds, boat keel paints and algicides). The crop protection products can in turn be subdivided according to their area of application: herbicides against weeds, fungicides against fungi and insecticides against insects.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (www.kemi.se) is the driving force at work for a toxin-free environment in Sweden.

Biocidal products predominate

According to statistics from the Swedish Chemicals Agency, over 9 685 tonnes of chemical pesticides (based on active ingredient) were sold in Sweden in 2006, which was an increase of almost 395 tonnes compared with the previous year. The majority (76%) went to industry, primarily for pressure and vacuum impregnation of timber. Sales to agriculture, including fruit and vegetable growing, increased by 115 tonnes to 1 780 tonnes in 2006, and now comprise over 18% of total sales. The most common plant pesticide used is herbicides, followed by fungicides, insecticides and seed dips.