biocide A natural or synthetic substance toxic to living organisms. Some ecologists advocate use of this term instead of ‘pesticides’, since most pesticides are also toxic to species other than the target pest species. Indirectly, pesticides may also affect non-target organisms detrimentally in many other ways (e.g. by loss of food species or loss of shelter) so that the effects of pesticides may be felt throughout a whole ecosystem. The term ‘biocide’ indicates this property more clearly than ‘pesticide’.

biocide A natural or synthetic substance toxic to living organisms. Some ecologists advocate use of this term instead of ‘pesticides’, since most pesticides are also toxic to species other than the target pest species. Indirectly, pesticides may also affect non-target organisms detrimentally in many other ways (e.g. by loss of food species or loss of shelter) so that the effects of pesticides may be felt throughout a whole ecosystem. The term ‘biocide’ indicates this property more clearly than ‘pesticide’.