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Poisoning with biocidal products before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: report from the Croatian Poison Control Centre Cover

Poisoning with biocidal products before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: report from the Croatian Poison Control Centre

Open Access
|Dec 2025

Figures & Tables

Number of recorded poisoning cases by biocidal product groups and years

Main groups of biocidal productsPre-pandemic periodHeight of the COVID-19 pandemicPeriod following the height of the pandemicTotal 2019–2024P value
201920202021202220232024
Disinfectants (BP 1–5) (N)901491321401821748670.002*
Preservatives (BP 6–13) (N)023023100.278
Pest control (BP 14–20) (N)6968827186644400.261
Other biocidal products (BP 21–22) (N)00002130.563
Total number of cases with biocides (N)15921921721127224213200.032*
Total number of reported cases in CPCC (N)23722545263528893049295116.441Not applicable
Percentage of biocides through analysed period)6.75 %8.6 %8.2 %7.3 %8.9 %8.2 %8.0 %Not applicable

Types of biocidal products

DisinfectantsPest control
BP1 – Human hygieneBP14 – Rodenticides
BP2 – Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animalsBP15 – Avicides
BP3 – Veterinary hygieneBP16 – Molluscicides, vermicides, and products to control other invertebrates
BP4 – Food and feed areaBP17 – Piscicides
BP5 – Drinking waterBP18 – Insecticides, acaricides, and products to control other arthropods
PreservativesBP19 – Repellents and attractants
BP6 – Storage preservatives for products during storageBP20 – Control of other vertebrates
BP7 – Film preservativesOther biocidal products
BP8 – Wood preservativesBP21 – Antifouling products (for vessels, aquaculture equipment, or other structures used in water)
BP9 – Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives
BP10 – Construction material preservatives
BP11 – Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systemsBP22 – Embalming and taxidermist fluids
BP12 – Slimicides
BP13 – Working or cutting fluid preservatives

Details of poisoning cases by the most prevalent biocidal product groups and years

Pre-pandemic periodHeight of the COVID-19 pandemicPeriod following the height of the pandemic
Product typeTotal number of cases201920202021202220232024P value
Disinfectants867
Human hygiene325137871476452<0.001*
Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals542777161931181220.001*
Pest control440
Rodenticides1192511221524220.116
Molluscicides, vermicides and products to control other invertebrates62020110.293
Insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods2833954534157390.067
Repellents and attractants3233416420.297
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2025-76-4059 | Journal eISSN: 1848-6312 | Journal ISSN: 0004-1254
Language: English, Croatian, Slovenian
Page range: 259 - 264
Submitted on: Oct 1, 2025
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Accepted on: Nov 1, 2025
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Published on: Dec 30, 2025
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Emin Veledar, Željka Babić, Jelena Macan, published by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.