January 29, 2026
On any given day, millions of gallons of water circulate through cooling towers, industrial systems and power plants across the country. At the same time, food processing plants operate around the clock to help ensure that meat products are safe when they reach the grocery stores. Hidden behind all these systems is a quiet line of defense: biocides. And according to Albemarle experts, they're far more essential to daily life than most people realize.
Without biocides, the consequences could be significant. In industrial water, heat transfer surfaces can be compromised, systems may struggle to cool, energy usage will climb, corrosion can damage equipment and Legionella risk can increase. In food processing, E. coli or Salmonella contamination may rise, which can lead to lost production and consumer illness.
But the story of biocides is not just one of industrial efficiency. It's one of safety, stability and global public health.
Fortifying Water Systems
Consistent biology control protects cooling systems in places ranging from manufacturing sites to major metro areas, where large populations depend on safe, efficient water treatment.
“Biocides help prevent microbial growth,” explained Eric Liimatta, Albemarle Research & Technology advisor. “If that growth isn’t controlled, systems may use significantly more energy, corrode over time and, in extreme cases, damage pipes.”
Albemarle's biocides may be best known for their role in treating industrial water. The flagship product, Stabrom® 909, is used to help keep cooling towers clean and safe. It is EPA-registered for use as a fungicide, algaecide, slimicide and microbiocide, helping control bacteria, fungi, algae, slime and biofilm deposits in equipment like pumps, pipes, heat-exchangers and filters.
"Stabrom is a stabilized bromine-based chemistry that gives meaningful advantages to our customers. Safe water is a big deal often taken for granted and we take pride in being a part of that effort,” said Dan Griffin, global business manager for biocides and food safety. Our customers rely on robust and consistent chemistries that maintain high-efficacy in operation to keep our water resources and communities protected.”
Griffin emphasized that Stabrom has been used in the industry for decades for its high-performance and reliability against dangerous microbes across a wide pH range and seasonal conditions. Griffin said Stabrom is also less reactive than sodium bromide with the added benefit of not requiring additional activators such as bleach, which simplifies operations, improves consistency and adds value-in-use for our customers in the field.
“Our communities rely on these operations and the operators, our customers, rely on Albemarle to deliver high-performing and stable biocide products like Stabrom® 909,” Griffin said.
That stability makes a big difference. Liimatta points out that alternative systems often rely on bleach as an activator, an approach that is much harder to control. Traditional biocidal systems can also introduce safety, environmental and infrastructure risks, including potential employee exposure hazards, accelerated equipment corrosion and the need for careful monitoring to manage byproducts and meet regulatory requirements.
"Bleach can be wildly unstable,” Liimatta said. "To use it correctly, you have to know the concentration very accurately."
