Contents1 Introduction to microbicides1.1 Classifi cation of microorganisms 1.1.1 Archaea 1.1.2 Bacteria 1.1.3 Eukaryotes 1.2 Microbicides 1.3 Mode of action of antimicrobial actives2 Coatings preservation 2.1 In-can preservation 2.1.1 Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing compounds (FA-R) 2.1.2 Isothiazolinone derivatives 2.1.3 Compounds with activated halogens 2.1.4 Summary of relevant properties for in-can preservation 2.2 Dry-fi lm preservation 2.2.1 Fungicides for coatings protection 2.2.2 Algicides for coatings protection2.2.3 Overview of fungicidal/algicidal product formulations 2.3 Plant hygiene 2.3.1 Prevention is better than cure 2.3.2 Where there is water, there is also life 2.3.3 Ten-point programme: disinfect operational facilities 3 Application aspects 3.1 Service life of microbicides 3.2 Optimisation of dosage 3.3 Formulation aspects 3.4 Remedial surface treatment 3.5 New developments in the fi eld of material protection 3.5.1 Slow-release technology 3.5.2 New actives 3.6 Microbicides based on silver compounds 4 Microbiological and application test methods 4.1 Minimum inhibitory concentration 4.2 Determination of germ count 4.3 In-can challenge test 4.4 Agar diff usion test 4.5 Laboratory leaching tests 4.6 Semi-field leaching trials 4.7 International standards 5 Legislative aspects 5.1 Biocidal Product Legislation (BPR) 5.1.1 General aspects of the authorisation process 5.1.2 Article 95: List of active substances and suppliers5.1.3 Treated articles 5.2 Interrelationship of the BPR and other legislation 6 Summary and outlook 7 References Author Index