About the IBRG

The International Biodeterioration Research Group (IBRG) was originally founded under the auspices of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris in 1968. Its membership is made up predominantly of microbiologists from industrial users of biocides, biocide manufacturers, testing laboratories from both the private and government sector and academic institutions.

IBRG usually holds two meetings each year and its main objectives are in the field of test method development and work to investigate the basic principles of biodeterioration. This is achieved through discussions at the meetings as well as by performing and reporting individual laboratory investigations and, most importantly, by organising and performing statistically designed, international ring-tests.

The activities of IBRG are coordinated through a number of working groups which are based on the functional use of biocides. The Wet-State Preservation Group covers those applications that aim to preserve products in their wet-state such as the in-can preservation of paints, the protection of tinting pastes and colorants at the point of use, the protection of polymer dispersions during transport and storage etc. In contrast, the Dry-State Preservation Group looks at the resistance of finished products to microbial deterioration in service such as the prevention of fungal and algal growth on painted surfaces and the resistance of plastics to microbial fouling and deterioration, etc. The Functional Fluids Group works on materials that are used within processes such as metal working lubricoolants, textile spin finishes, cooling water, paper pulp and lithographic fountain solutions. The final active group looks at methods to validate the claims made for treated articles (OECD definition), ie materials into which a biocide has been added to introduce new functionality rather than to protect the material in service. This includes applications such as ‘antibacterial' plastics and textiles as well as the control of odour in textiles.

A number of the methods produced by IBRG have either been published as national and international standards or are available for sale within the activities section of this site.