News Archive

We are expanding our services for efficacy testing according to ASTM E645 and ASTM E1839 to include a highly relevant test bacterium: Desulfovibrio. Cooling and process waters often provide ideal growth conditions for microorganisms. Accordingly, the ECHA Guidance on Efficacy requires comprehensive testing for various groups of organisms. Of particular relevance here is Desulfovibrio, a sulphate-reducing bacterium (SRB) and a major cause of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). 

As an obligate anaerobic bacterium, Desulfovibrio poses a considerable challenge to the testing laboratory, as work must be performed under almost oxygen-free conditions. The technical implementation is significantly more challenging than with standard test organisms. We are therefore all the more excited to be able to offer these tests for both curative and preventive applications. We pay particular attention to the strict control protocols required for preventive applications to provide valid and reliable data.

Do you have a specific enquiry or require advice on testing for PT11 or PT12? Please feel free to contact us – we will be happy to assist you on an individual basis.

Get in touch HERE.

We are expanding our range of testing services to include an innovative service: with immediate effect, we are offering efficacy screenings for laundry disinfection using a Rotawash system. This method enables manufacturers to perform a resource-efficient yet reliable evaluation of disinfection processes for textiles.

The washing and disinfection process of a front-loading washing machine is simulated on a small scale under realistic conditions. The method is based on established principles, used in tests according to ASTM E2274 or EN 17658. In the Rotawash, tests are performed in stainless steel vessels under controlled temperature and mechanical action.

As a first step to efficacy testing, the Rotawash offers decisive advantages for product and process development. Thanks to its high throughput, numerous formulations can be tested in parallel. The results are reliable and provide valuable insights into the expected efficacy in later tests according to EN 16616. As different concentrations, formulations, temperatures and liquor ratios can be tested simultaneously, our screening is an efficient tool for product development and helps ensure that deadlines in authorisation procedures are met.

Would you like to shorten development times and reduce testing costs? We offer screening tests and EN 16616 tests as a package. Please feel free to contact us – We are happy to assist you!

Get in touch HERE.

In the course of the ongoing improvement of our internal processes, we will be implementing a new ERP system at Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology in mid-July. By introducing this new system, we aim to further optimize our processes in the long term. For you as a customer, this means, in particular:

• Faster processing times and improved service quality in the long term
• Even higher data quality and improved traceability
• More efficient internal processes through greater system integration

This new ERP system is already being used successfully in other divisions of DR. Brill INSTITUTES. We can therefore assure you that, once the transition is complete, we will be able to process your orders even more reliably and quickly. During the transition phase, there may be minor changes to the appearance of our documents - but all content, processes, and quality standards will, of course, remain unchanged. If you have any questions or comments regarding the transition, we are always happy to assist you - see CONTACT.

We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with our valued customers through this system transition.

As of 1 July 2026, Hydrotox Labor für Ökotoxikologie und Gewässerschutz GmbH was able to lease additional space totaling 170 m² in its existing building in Freiburg. As a result, the laboratory space will be expanded over the next few weeks by approximately 30 %, while the office space was nearly doubled immediately. With this expansion, Hydrotox - after more than 30 years in the same premises - now has the opportunity to position itself for the future, serve its customers in an even more service-oriented manner, and increase its testing capacity.

If you are interested in taking a look at the new space during an in-person meeting in Freiburg, please feel free to contact us - we would love to show you around! CONTACT

From 1 July 2026, a new requirement issued by ECHA comes into effect: for all renewal applications for the approval of biocidal active substances, the dossier data must be submitted mandatorily in IUCLID format.

What is changing?

ECHA has stipulated that, for renewal applications submitted from 1 July 2026 onwards, the following data must be available in IUCLID format:

• All documentation from the original application for approval of the biocidal active substance
• All relevant approval data in accordance with the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR)
• The data must be created or updated using the current version of IUCLID

Applications that do not comply with the new format requirements risk delays or rejection of the renewal procedure.

What does this mean for you?

If your company is planning a renewal of the active substance approval, or has already submitted an application, you must ensure that your existing dossier:

1. Has been updated to the latest version of IUCLID
2. Contains all relevant data completely and correctly in IUCLID format
3. Meets the formal requirements of the BPR

We are here to support you – efficiently and competently

Our Regulatory Affairs team has many years of experience in the preparation and updating of IUCLID dossiers for biocidal active substances.
We are happy to assist you with migrating your dossier to the current version of IUCLID.

Get in touch today

Contact us today for a non-binding consultation – here: Contact

Dr. Brill Regulatory Services – Your Trusted Partner for Biocidal Products Regulatory Compliance

The date is set: The 12th Conference of Applied Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology (CAHMV) will take place on 26 - 27 November 2026, organized by DR. BRILL INSTITUTES. The CAHMV serves as a premier European multidisciplinary platform that bridges the gap between academic research, regulatory science, and industrial application in the fields of infection prevention and antimicrobial efficacy.

Please ensure this date is blocked in your calendar to join international scientists and industry R&D leaders for an advanced scientific discourse.

Key Scientific and Regulatory Focus Areas:

• Interactive Scientific Workshop: Following the success of the 2025 edition, the conference will feature again a dedicated practical workshop focusing on methodological paradigms in efficacy testing.
• The legendary lecture "Overview of development of efficacy testing of disinfectants, antiseptics, wound dressings, and antimicrobial surfaces 2031" - one of the highlights of every CAHMV, held by Dr. Florian H. H. Brill, including methodological updates and harmonization of standards for disinfectants, antiseptics, and biocidal surfaces.
• Translational Microbiology & Virology: Advanced research in pathogen inactivation, emerging resistance mechanisms, and novel disinfection technologies.
• Regulatory Science & Compliance: Comprehensive insights into current European Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) pathways, data requirements, and risk assessments.
• Expert Discourse: Peer-to-peer networking connecting international industry experts and academic researchers.

To accommodate our global community, the 12th CAHMV will be hosted again as a hybrid event – welcoming participants on-site in Hamburg as well as virtually via our online livestream. The preliminary scientific program and registration details will be published shortly on the official CAHMV portal. Please note: Only the program in the main hall (Kaffeebörse) will be streamed online and recorded!

We anticipate a stimulating scientific exchange and look forward to your participation. For your non-binding pre-registration, feel free to contact us already now via email at claudia.steinfath@brillhygiene.com.

For our antifouling services provided by the team on Norderney we now also achieved a Category C flexible accreditation. This is the highest category confirming our exceptional expertise in this field. This allows us to include new antifouling methods in our accreditation scope after internal verification or validation, bypassing the need for a DAkkS audit. We remain the only testing institute in Europe accredited for these services which combines expertise and quality assurance. With the new Appendix D-PL-13412-01-03 to the DAkkS Accreditation Certificate we added our newly developed method for an efficacy test for growth protection systems for sea water pipes e.g. for cooling (see "Tests with sea pipes – antifouling coatings and cleaning according to ASTM D6990-20 (evaluation)". For more information about this test, please see our news article HERE (News) or visit our antifouling website HERE (Website).

Appendix D-PL-13412-01-01: In some areas additional methods were included in the accreditation scope. Mainly we added methods for environmental hygiene control and hygiene in process checks e.g. with bioindicators for washing machines and dishwashers . In addition, we updated the portfolio for activity testing of disinfectants adding e.g. the EN 17430, EN 17914, EN 17915, EN 17846 to our range, which were already part of our accreditation scope via the flexible accreditation scope category C. 

Independent of this, our move into the new laboratories is now reflected in our certifications. All our certifications can be found on our website here: .../certificates

A publication with this title has been published in "The Journal of Hospital Infection", with Dr. Florian H. H. Brill as one of the contributing authors. The publication concludes that the virucidal 4-field test demonstrates promising applicability as a phase 2/step 2 method and represents a valuable candidate for incorporation into future European standards. The method is particularly relevant for assessing ready-to-use wipes, as virucidal efficacy depends on the combined effects of wipe material, released liquid, and mechanical action, which may substantially differ from results obtained in the absence of mechanical application. Representative-of-use validation methods are therefore essential for assessing disinfectant efficacy in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and public spaces.

The abstract and all further details regarding this publication can be found here: LINK.

For the 21st International Congress on Marine Corrosion and Fouling (ICMCF), the following presentations and poster presentations involving Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion have been confirmed. All abstracts submitted by our colleagues from Norderney have been accepted! Hydrotox Laboratory for Ecotoxicology and Water Protection GmbH from Freiburg is also contributing to the program:

Presentation: "North Sea – a perfect body of water for antifouling field tests"
Authors: Bernd Daehne, Soyla Kraus, Lukas Kuhn

Presentation: "Initial results of field and laboratory testing of non-biocidal and microplastic-reduced self-polishing and cleanable hard coatings (BioSHIP)"
Authors: Soyla Kraus, Elena Perabo, Bernd Daehne, Dr. Nina Winkler, Dr. Philip Kensbock, Dr. Dorothea Stübing, Tim Heusinger von Waldegge

Poster: "The Blue Angel Ecolabel DE UZ 221: Sustainable antifouling solutions for maritime and inland shipping"
Authors: Bernd Daehne, Stefan Gartiser, Soyla Kraus, Sascha Setzer

Poster: "In situ cleaning and disinfection process for aquaculture systems using underwater laser radiation"
Authors: Jan Leschke, Benjamin Emde, Johann Torno, Hendrik Wilke, Bernd Daehne, Lukas Kuhn, Soyla Kraus, David Maerkl-Bilger, and Alexander Rose

Poster: "Field tests and Machine Learning for adaptive cleaning with an autonomous robot (LABROID)"
Authors: Dr.-Ing. Florian Gerland, Thomas Schomberg, Dr. Christian Gruhl, Jens Decke, Bernd Daehne, Soyla Kraus, Adrian Beckmann

Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion is therefore represented at ICMCF 2026 and will be contributing to the program. Please feel free to use your visit to ICMCF 2026 as an opportunity to meet with our institute - we would be delighted to see you! Venue: Henry Ford Building, Freie Universität Berlin. All further information on ICMCF 2026, including registration, can be found here: www.icmcf2026.com

ICMCF 2026 - the 21st International Congress on Marine Corrosion and Fouling (ICMCF) - will take place this summer from 26-31 July 2026, in Berlin. Since its inaugural edition in France in 1964, the ICMCF has established itself as the leading international forum for scientific exchange on fouling and corrosion in the maritime sector. Over the decades, the congress has traveled the globe, bringing together researchers and experts from academia and industry. This unique mix fosters fruitful dialogue, strengthens collaboration, and supports the development of long-term professional relationships. True to this tradition, the upcoming ICMCF offers a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary program that presents the latest findings on biofouling and corrosion as well as innovative approaches to their prevention. The conference is organized by Fraunhofer IFAM, one of Europe’s leading research institutions in the field of applied materials science and surface technology.

The Hydrotox Labor für Ökotoxikologie und Gewässerschutz GmbH team was represented with a booth at the annual meeting of SETAC Europe (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from May 17-21, 2026, together with colleagues from Dr. Brill Regulatory GmbH. Among the more than 2,500 participants from more than 60 countries, we were able to meet many of our long-standing customers and colleagues, but also make many new contacts.

The scientific program was again very comprehensive with several thousand posters and up to ten parallel sessions and included topics such as persistence assessment, animal-free replacement methods, endocrine effects and regulatory issues, which were particularly interesting for us.

Elena Perabo gave a presentation on our project on the sponge city, which is about to be completed, entitled "Sustainable green roofs for the implementation of the sponge city: Determination of ecotoxicologically safe construction products for green roofs", which met with great interest. Andrea Brunswik-Titze, together with Ulrich Jöhncke and colleagues from the Federal Environment Agency, presented a poster with the titel "Round Robin Test: consolidation of OECD ready biodegradability tests", which was also presented in a Poster Corner. It illustrated the actual status of our project to organize that round robin test. Furthermore, Andrea Brunswik-Titze, Jessica Bühler and Marie Canon presented a poster on methodological approaches in the testing of the biodegradability of polymers entitled "Biodegradability of polymers in aquatic test systems: ISO 14852 - feasibility study for different concentrations of test item and inoculum". In a third poster, first results of the project on the assessment of endocrine effects induced by construction products were presented with the title "Assessment of endocrine effects of construction products in the environment" by Elena Perabo and Martina Springmann together with Peter Behnisch from BioDetection Systems in Amsterdam. And in a fourth poster, Heike Schimmelpfennig, Andrea Brunswik-Titze, and Elena Perabo presented a comparison of exposure models used to simulate the entry of substances into various environmental compartments within the risk assessments under the legal frameworks of biocides, plant protection products, and chemicals under REACH, titled "Comparison of exposure modelling tools used in different regulatory areas."

We are very happy about the successful participation in this conference and look forward to next year, when the conference will take place in Geneva.

If you are interested in learning more about any of the topics presented in Maastricht or about the other services offered by our institutes, we would be happy to assist you! Contact: HERE

The SETAC Europe Annual Meeting is an annual conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe that brings together scientists, policy makers and industry representatives to discuss current issues in the fields of environmental toxicology, ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry.

Main features of the conference:

• Topics: Environmental risk research, life cycle assessment, regulatory developments and scientific policy advice
• Formats: Scientific sessions, plenary lectures, training sessions and networking events
• Participants: 2,000-2,500 experts from over 60 countries

The conference serves as a platform for the exchange of new findings and promotes cooperation between research, industry and authorities.

Link: SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting

On 1-2 October 2026, Norderney will once again become the gathering place for the antifouling community: That is when the third Antifouling Conference will take place there, an important industry gathering organized by the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland, MCN) in collaboration with the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, BSH), the German Sailing Association (Deutscher Motoryachtverband, DSV), and the German Motor Yacht Association (Deutscher Motoryachtverband, DMYV). The event will focus on innovative, environmentally friendly strategies to prevent fouling on ship hulls or other underwater structures.

A special highlight is the field trip to the Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion at Dr. Brill + Partner, which is hosting an exclusive visit to Norderney. On site, participants will gain insights into test facilities, laboratories, and ongoing research conducted under real-world conditions in a maritime environment.

The conference is complemented by a diverse program of presentations featuring contributions from renowned experts from academia, industry, and associations. It also offers numerous opportunities for in-depth discussion and networking. This year’s venue is located directly at the head of the pier, offering the best views of the Wadden Sea and the harbor entrance. At the end of the first day, an evening cruise on the Frisia XI and a barbecue at Dr. Brill + Partner provide the perfect setting for successful networking.

The event is free of charge, but space is limited. We therefore encourage you to mark your calendars now. Registration is now open here:

>>> REGISTRATION <<<

Important note: Securing hotel rooms for one or two nights is proving to be a significant challenge, so we recommend that you book your accommodations as soon as possible. As of early June, the Jugendherberge Dünensender (Dünensender Youth Hostel) still has a limited number of rooms available for the period from 30 September to 3 October 2026. However, the minimum stay is 2 nights.

You can find our recap of the 2025 Antifouling Conference in Norderney, including the Biofouling Excursion, here: LINK

For the economic development agency Hamburg Invest, Dr. Florian H. H. Brill is the "Innovator of the Month". We are, of course, delighted to receive this award! Read more about it in Hamburg Invest's LinkedIn post - here: LINK.

Hamburg Invest is the one-stop agency for relocation and investment in Hamburg as well as the main partner of Hamburg’s business sector on all topics relating to business development. On their international LinkedIn profile, Hamburg Invest highlights innovation topics in industry clusters, demonstrates the future attractiveness of Hamburg as a business location, and seeks active exchange with decision-makers and experts from all over the world. In addition, Hamburg Invest presents exciting companies and innovation projects from Hamburg and acts as an interface to local institutions and associations.