Agricultural Spray Issues Snapshot

Wingecarribee Reservoir - polluted with Triclopyr in August 2007 at possibly the highest herbicide level in an Australian domestic water supply over the past 20 years. Eight times over the Australian Drinking Water Health Guideline. Was anyone informed at the time?

CHEMICAL spray drift complaints in the Gordonvale area have prompted a warning to canegrowers to ensure the correct use of spray nozzles and spray pressure.Biosecurity Queensland senior inspector Aaron Russell said the complaints were associated with the use of boom jets or moonless spray nozzles to apply selective herbicides to sugarcane. "Spray drift prevention is an essential aspect of using agricultural chemicals responsibly," Mr Russell said. "The boom jet is a combination of fan and offset fan nozzles based around a central brass housing." Mr Russell said it was important to read the herbicide label, in particular sections on critical comments, directions for use and application. "These sections will indicate the type of equipment to be used as well as pressures and application rates," he said. "Growers can be prosecuted for not applying chemicals in accordance with label directions. "Prolific weed growth after the wet season has meant a spike in spraying and an increase in spray drift events and complaints. "Queensland's agricultural chemical laws aim to reduce the potential impact on human and animal health, trade and the environment." Tips to minimise chemical drift risks include: * Avoid spraying in still or windy conditions, thermal inversions or when wind is blowing towards crops that can be damaged by chemicals. * Reduce spray pressure to the minimum required. * Ensure spray equipment (including nozzles) is appropriate, well maintained and calibrated. * Drop the height of the spray release as low as possible without interfering with the spray pattern. Canegrowers are asked to inform neighbours of intended spray days. Mr Russell said growers needed to identify any sensitive situations, such as other crops, wetlands, watercourses and residential housing within 3km and be aware of susceptible crops or sensitive areas. * Call 13 25 23 or visit www.dpi.qld.gov.au

Cotton growers say they're experiencing serious crop damage from spray drift and their complaints about grain farms may lead to restrictions on a widely used herbicide. Cotton Australia's chief executive Adam Kay says the bill for the damage could be as high as $5 million. The culprit is 24D, used by grain growers to control broad leaf weeds. Its reportedly drifting up to 10 kilometres from its target paddocks into cotton crops, killing the plants. Mr Kay says Cotton Australia is encouraging farmers to report any cases of spray drift to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. "So far this year we have had over 70 incidences of herbicide drift onto cotton reported to us and it's causing great concern to alot of growers." "The next stage that we're moving to is talking with the APVMA and talk to them about label changes that will protect growers into the future." The APVMA confirms its had many reports of 24D spray drift. Its principal scientist for agricultural chemicals, Doctor David Loschki, says the APVMA imposed more strict labelling requirements about three years ago. "We have been receiving substantial reports of the herbicides misuse ... without compliance we will move to stricter labelling systems." Agforce grains director, Wayne Newton says banning 24D or phenoxy herbicide would be devastating to both cereal and cotton growers. He grows both crops on his Dalby property and uses the product to kill weeds on all of his paddocks. "For a few years I've been spraying 24D right alongside my cotton crops without any problems because I abide by the products labels." "We are continuing to have these problems because farmers are not abiding by the labels and they are going to wreck it for everybody." "It would be devastating to see the product be pulled from the market," he said.

Herbicide spray drift damage to a number of Central Queensland cotton crops has been reported this summer as broadacre farmers battle prolific weed growth. Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries Central Queensland cotton extension officer Susan Maas said spray drift prevention was an essential aspect of using agricultural chemicals responsibly. Ms Maas, who works in cooperation with the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and Research Development Corporation, said crop damage caused by spray drift of agricultural herbicide or pesticide was a significant concern for all growers and livestock producers. "Herbicide spray drift damage to cotton has again been reported on the Central Highlands, Dawson Valley and on the Mackenzie River," Ms Maas said. The 2008-09 predominantly irrigated cotton planting in Central Queensland amounts to 12,000 hectares on the Central Highlands and 4800 ha in the Dawson-Callide. Ms Maas said it was vital to communicate with neighbours and spray contractors to initially identify any sensitive crops in the area and then use well setup, calibrated equipment to improve spray efficacy as well as minimise the risk of drift. "The bulk of the damage has been attributed to phenoxy-type chemicals such as 2,4-D and Starane moving off target trapped in meteorological inversion layer air movements," Ms Maas said. "Despite some excellent summer planting rains, some grain growers are opting to hold over fallow cultivation country to plant early winter wheat or chickpeas due to low sorghum grain market values. "To control grass and broadleaf weed growth and to conserve soil moisture, growers should be selecting spray nozzles to apply coarse droplets that are too heavy to remain suspended in thermal air movement." Biosecurity Queensland district inspector Tim Fischer said spray applicators had a moral and legal obligation to ensure spray applications did not impact on neighbouring situations or landholders. Mr Fischer said it was vital that spray operators always refer to label requirements and monitor and record meteorological conditions throughout the spray job. Agricultural chemicals should always be used strictly in accordance with label instructions especially taking into account drift warnings, wind speed and droplet-size limitations. Wind speed should be a steady 3 km per hour to 15 km per hour. Use visual indicators such as smoke, moisture or dust to monitor for still or low level inversions that tend to form in the late evening, strengthen overnight and are usually strongest near sunrise. For optimum Delta t conditions and further tips on spraying refer to the DPI&F technical publication "Spray drift fact sheet" available as a link from the DPI&F website´s spray drift page. Landholders who wish to lodge complaints of chemical misuse or spray drift incidents relating to crop or stock damage can notify the department by contacting the DPI&F Business Information Centre on 13 25 23. "Our investigations are focussed on determining whether the operator may have breached provisions of Queensland´s agricultural and veterinary chemical control or use legislation," Mr Fischer said.

How Can We Get Better Management of Pesticides in Our Catchments, When Authorities Let Children Swim in Gender Bender Pesticides?

"simazine works by disrupting hormone and enzyme systems, the immune system, the allergy system and altering the functioning of our genes. Simazine allows other chemicals to act and preset our bodies for illnesses (allergies, asthma, auto-immune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's) and cancers. The type and severity of the effects depends on the time that they affect us, and the mixture of toxins that we are exposed to, but the effects are maximal to unborn babies and children. Hormone disruptors work at extremely low concentrations. The total biological effects of these and other toxic pesticides on all the animals in our ecosystems, including humans, have not been fully investigated, let alone qualified." Letter to Sunday Age 18/1/09.

APVMA's Slight Change of Position May 18 2009: Simazine Pool Concerns Being Assessed 18 May 2009 Community concerns about the use of simazine as an algicide in swimming pools will be addressed in a review of simazine scheduled to commence in the next six months. This review will enable all available scientific evidence to be properly assessed and for a regulatory decision to be made if an identified risk to children’s health in particular, or human health in general, is substantiated. Information currently available, however, does not suggest that the risk to human health from simazine in swimming pools is likely to be great. There are some 92 chemical products available on the Australian market to treat algae in swimming pools. Only two of these contain simazine. Advice from the pool and industry suggests that simazine products have around five percent of the market and are typically used to treat pools over winter when they are not being used. Information is currently being gathered for assessment prior to the commencement of the review. Should that information suggest a risk that cannot be managed, the APVMA is able to take immediate regulatory action.

APVMA's Response: Hot Topic - Simazine January 2009 The continued registration of simazine products as algaecides in swimming pools in Australia has attracted media interest over the past week or so. Environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE) has raised concerns about the potential of simazine to be an endocrine disruptor and to present a risk to children and pregnant women through accidental ingestion of pool water or absorption via the skin. FOE claims that the Environmental Protection Authority in the United States deregistered simazine for pool use in the United States in 1994 and argues that it should be similarly deregistered in Australia. Simazine is a triazine herbicide and algaecide used in agriculture and in the home and garden. Simazine products are used for the control of a large variety of weed species in fruits, vegetables, lentils, vineyards, home garden and non-agricultural situations. They are also used to control algae in pools, aquariums and ponds. The issues raised by FOE are not new. The APVMA has had concerns about potential environmental and human health impacts of the triazine herbicides, which include simazine and atrazine, for some time. In early 2008 it concluded a review of atrazine which led to a tightening of controls. Contrary to some media reporting, simazine itself has been a candidate for review for some time. Further, in 2007 the APVMA initiated a project, based on ongoing research, to re-examine the possibility that the triazines (including simazine and atrazine) may have some previously unreported biological effects. The project and associated assessment is evidence-based. If research outcomes point to new risks, the APVMA will consider appropriate regulatory measures. However at present, there is no clear evidence to justify raising the current priority for the review of simazine.

Aug 08: Duck River Catchment North Western Tasmania has recently had the insecticide fenitrothion detected in it as well as the herbicide MCPA which has continually been detected for some time. Grazing properties are implicated.

Problems with Atrazine

A review of the widely-used herbicide atrazine fails to recommend studies on its effects on the Australian environment, says one expert.

The response follows an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) review, which approves continued use of the herbicide, despite international debate over its health and environmental effects.

Atrazine is used in Australia to control grass and weeds in crops like sorghum, maize, sugar cane, lupins, pine, eucalypt plantations and triazine-tolerant canola.

The long-running review found no major concerns with the herbicide, dismissing concerns about its potential to cause human cancer and sex changes in frogs at existing exposure levels.

But an expert on the impact of herbicides on frogs, Associate Professor Mike Tyler of the University of Adelaide, says the review gives "superficial treatment" to the question of atrazine's environmental effects, specifically evidence that it causes abnormalities in frogs. And he says the APVMA relied too much on US evidence and should have called for local studies to be carried out.

"Work should be done immediately in Australia on Australian species," says Tyler. He says investigating the role of chemicals in the decline of frog species is important. "Frogs are extremely sensitive to a wide range of pollutants and they give us an indication that there's something wrong with the environment when they begin to disappear."

Findings defended: Dr Simon Cubit of the APVMA defends the review, saying it relied on a database of thousands of scientific papers as evidence. He could not say how many studies in the database are Australian, but says the data is extensive enough to reflect the risk of atrazine in the Australian environment. "At present we don't believe it's a significant issue," he says.

Cubit says the APVMA will re-open the atrazine review if new credible evidence of impact emerges. Meanwhile it recommends changes on labels to reduce the risk of the herbicide contaminating waterways. "Atrazine should not be in waterways," he says. "If it is then it's the responsibility of state authorities to identify its source and take relevant action."

Atrazine in waterways: Tasmanian Greens MP Tim Morris says recent Freedom of Information requests have revealed atrazine levels in the state's waterways as high as 7.42 parts per billion. Previous research suggests problems can occur in frogs as low as 0.1 parts per billion. While the APVMA review concludes the weight of evidence does not support this concern, it says state authorities are required to take action to prevent further contamination when water levels reach 0.1 parts per billion.

Morris says there is currently a proposal before the state government to reduce the legal limit of atrazine in waterways to 0.1 parts per billion. Environmentalists are also concerned over the adequacy of testing of Australian waterways for chemicals such as atrazine.

Human hormone effects: The APVMA says it is investigating in vitro evidence available since the completion of its review that atrazine can disrupt the human hormone system at levels of 20 parts per billion. These latest findings raise questions on the adequacy of the allowed levels of the herbicide in drinking water, currently 40 parts per billion. The National Health and Medical Research Council is also currently reassessing drinking water guidelines, which includes acceptable levels of agricultural chemicals such as atrazine. Atrazine is no longer approved for use in the European Union.

http: www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/05/15/2246019.htm?site=science&topic=latest

May 15, 2008 AUSTRALIAN regulators have allowed a widely used weed killer to be present in drinking water at levels twice those now shown to cause damaging genetic changes in human cells.

A new study by the University of California, San Francisco, has found atrazine increases activity of human genes linked to fetal growth retardation and infertility. Atrazine is used to control weeds in forest plantations and crops such as canola, sugarcane, maize, sorghum and lupins across Australia.

Holly Ingraham, study senior author and UCSF professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology, told The Australian significant effects on human placental cells were seen when exposed to as little as 20 parts per billion of atrazine. This is half the 40ppb atrazine health value limit under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The US has a drinking water maximum of 3ppb for atrazine, while Europe has refused to approve it for use. Professor Ingraham said as a scientist she had "no agenda" in terms of regulation, but she believed Australia's health value of 40ppb was "worrying". "If it were me drinking water, I would want it as low as possible," she said. The study also exposed zebrafish to the chemical, finding significant effects at 2ppb and changes to sex ratios at 20ppb.

Earlier this month, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority announced its review of atrazine had concluded "no changes to the existing health standards" were needed. This was because while atrazine had been shown to disrupt the nervous, hormone and reproductive systems of rats, it was "unlikely that atrazine is an endocrine (hormonal) disruptor in humans".

However, the UCSF study drew the opposite conclusion. "Our results strongly suggest that atrazine is an endocrine disruptor - it is indirectly estrogenic, and it most certainly has the potential to influence reproduction, as well as other endocrine functions," Professor Ingraham said.

Endocrine disruptors affect the body's hormonal system, potentially affecting growth, development and reproduction. "Would a fetus or child be especially sensitive to this herbicide? Probably. Our study shows that some of the genes targeted by atrazine have already been linked to intrauterine growth retardation and infertility."

APVMA public affairs manager Simon Cubit said the regulator's decision not to toughen atrazine restrictions was based on "weight-of-evidence" from many studies. However, APVMA had sought expert advice from Australia's Office of Chemical Safety and drawn its attention to Professor Ingraham's study. The Health and Medical Research Council said it would consider "all the latest evidence" as part of its review of drinking water guidelines.

Atrazine producer Syngenta did not comment but has insisted the product poses no risk to human health. Tasmanian GP Alison Bleaney, who believes atrazine may be linked to high rates of cancer and auto-immune disease, demanded an urgent regulatory rethink. "One would hope that our regulators would be protecting us and protection means occasionally that you have to take a stand on the balance of probabilities," she said. "And the balance of probabilities has shown for some years that atrazine is not a safe chemical to have in our environment."

The triazine herbicides act by interfering with plant photosynthesis. Triazines exhibit a wide range of toxicities to aquatic organisms, depending on the compound and the species. Atrazine concentrations as low as 10ug/L have been reported to inhibit algal growth but some algal species may establish resistant communities. Species richness and total abundance of emerging benthic macroinvertebrates were significantly reduced by atrazine concentrations of 20 ug/L and above (Boey & Cooper 1996; NRA 1997) ... The half-life for atrazine in estuarine sediment is 15-20 days, but in soil, 30% of the original atrazine may still exist after 3 years (Boey & Cooper 1996). p17 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Atrazine and simazine are relatively stable in water and have been detected in ground and surface waters in the USA and Australia (Kookana et al. 1998b). p17 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

The most widely used pesticide in Australia today is glyphosate...Annual average use approaches 15,000 tonnes. The next most widely used herbicides are atrazine and simazine. These are selective systematic herbicides which provide knockdown and residual action for control of many broad-leafed weeds and some grasses in forestry and agricultural crops. About 3000 tonnes of each of these are used annually, much of them industrial rather than agricultural uses for seasonal weed control. p27 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

A water quality program is being undertaken by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation that includes monitoring the rivers and streams of northwest NSW. No sample even approached the drinking water health values, but endosulfan, atrazine and chlorpyrifos in some samples exceeded the Action Guideline Value established by the NHMRC/ARMCANZ Guideline.. p90 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Pesticides with intermediate persistence included atrazine...p126 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Irrigation runoff waters in north-west cotton growing areas of NSW are retained within the farming boundaries in normal operations. Any direct escape of farm runoff water to the river or wetlands within months after spraying will lead to significant environmental contamination (Kennedy 1999). Muschal and Warne (2001) determined the hazard and risk posed to riverine organisms from pesticides. They used montioring data from the Central and North Western Regional Water Quality Program, which is run by Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW... Data from the Macintyre, Gwydir and Namoi rivers were compared against ecotoxicological date from ANZECC and ARMCANZ (2001)... Sites at the bottom end of each catchment had the greatest agrochemical contamination with high levels of endosulfan, atrazine and other pesticides. p128 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

In 1999-2000 atrazine exceeded the guideline level of 99% ecosystem protection (0.07ug/l) in 8% of samples (Muschal 2001). Overall concentrations of atrazine in north-western NSW surface waters ranged from below the analytical detection limit to 10ug/l, with some isolated peaks up to 20ug/l during storm events. These were low compared to overseas results (Boey & Cooper 1996)... p128 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

[cotton NSW] In total, six insecticides and nine herbicides (including breakdown products of atrazine) have been detected in surface water samples since 1991. The insecticides are amitraz, chlorpyrifos, parathion methyl, dimethoate, profenofos and propargite;p the herbicides are desethyl atrazine, diuron, fluometuron, hydroxy atrazine, metolachlor, pendimethalin, prometryn, simazne and trifluralin... The herbicides desethyl atrazine, diuron, fluometuron and metolachlor appear to be on a continuing upward trend... p128/9 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Storm events can substantially increase both the concentration and load of pesticides in storm surface waters. Significant loads of atrazine were transported off dryland cotton farms in the Namoi catchment during a 24-hour storm event in July 1993 (preeces et al. 1993). Cooper and Riley (1996) measured the storm transport of pesticides from dryland cotton production into Cox's Creek in the Liverpool Plains of NSW in January 1995. The high stream flow lasted for over three days and was associated with high turbidity. The loads of atrazine and endosulfan exported in the storm were relatively low, reflecting the lower usage due to drought, but peak concentrations were 2.25ug/L of atrazine and 0.045ug/L of endosulfan. It is significant that atrazine had not been used for around 12 months. In another storm monitored in January 1997 on the Gwydir River, Muschal (1997) detected alpha-and beta endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, atrazine, diuron, fluometuron and prometryn...p129 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Large quantities of herbicides are applied to the irrigation areas of south-western NSW for the growing of rice. The total quantities of molinate applied each season (>100,000 kg in Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area alone) far exceed any other herbicides mostly in spring and early summer. Bensulfuron-methyl is also commonly used on most rice crops, while other herbicides used for general weed control and seedbed preparation include glyphosate, diquat, paraquat, atrazine and diuron (Bowmer et al. 1995).p129 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Bowmer et al. (1995) reviewed and reported on the pesticide monitoring that has been carried out in these irrigation areas. Supply water from the rivers was of high quality and generally few pesticides were detected. Just a few channels contained low levels of atrazine (0.08ug/L & 0.2 ug/L); endosulfan sulphate (0.02ug/L); molinate (7.2 ug/L & 0.5 ug/L); and 2,4-D (0.5 ug/L). Water supplying farms in the Willbriggie district, which had been mixed with MIA drainage water, contained higher concentrations of some pesticides and more frequent detections. Molinate was detected in 90% of samples over 55-days in spring and early summer, up to a maximum concentration of 3.6ug/L and atrazine in 20% of samples, up to 0.35ug/L...p129/130 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

{SW NSW}Pesticide residues were detected in water from the large drainage channels that received runoff from a variety of crops, particularly in spring and summer (Bowmer et al. 1995; Korth et al. 1995). Molinate was detected in most drains during its application season, and levels often exceeded guidelines both for drinking water and protection of the aquatic environment. Other pesticides commonly found to exceed guidelines current at the time included diuron, atrazine, endosulfan, chlorpyrifos and malathion...p130 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Chapman and Stranger (1995) found that water quality was generally good in horticultural areas in the Gippsland area of Victoria in 1994...Triazine and urea herbicides were common in drains; atrazine was found up to 4.9ug/L (Orbost), simazine up to 1.4ug/L and diuron up to 4.8ug/L (both at Koo-wee-rup). However some herbicides were found in a few stream samples: atrazine was found at Rosebud and Bairnsdale (0.14-3.2ug/L); metribuzin (0.15 - 0.28ug/L) at two locations; simazine at Bairnsdale (0.61ug/L). Endosulfan (up to 0.04ug/L) and chlorpyrifos (0.002ug/L) were also detected in streams at Bairnsdale...p130 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

In Tasmania, Daves et al. (1994) detected residues of triazine herbicides, atrazine and simazine in 20 out of 29 streams sampled that drained forestry and agricultural catchments in Tasmania between 1989 and 1992. The forestry spraying was carried out by helicopter with relatively high application rates. Concentrations of herbicides ranged over several orders of magnitude; the highest concentration of atrazine was 53mg/L (53 000ug/L) and of simazine 478 ug/L. Atrazine residues decreased with time after spraying; from a median of 8.1ug/L on the day of spraying to a median of 0.3ug/L around 13-15 months later. However, rainfall runoff caused significant but transient atrazine concentrations in streams, even after 13-15 months, with median values up to 2.0ug/L. The lower water solubilities of atrazine and simazine, compared to the other triazine herbicides, contribute to their greater persistence in water. A typical half-life of atrazine in these Tasmanian streams was around 3 months. Streams draining forestry land generally contained more pesticides than agricultural streams due to differences in methods of pesticide application, time of application and the nature of the chemicals...p131 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Turner (1996) reported that Atrazine has been frequently detected in the Condamine-Balonne River system in Queensland, from trace levels up to 2.4mg/L...In North Queensland, Russell et al. (1996) reported that diedrin, DDE, 2,4-D and atrazine were detected in between 9 and 27% of samples from the Johnstone and Daintree Rivers. Atrazine, between 0.4 and 14.4ug/L was found in farm dams on the Darling Downs in Queensland, probably associated with suspended soil particles (BW Simpson; cited in Hunter 1992). p132 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Muller et al. (2000) analysed 103 sediment samples collected from irrigation channels and drains in 11 agricultural areas of Queensland for a range of past and presently used pesticides, including organochlorines, pyrethroids, ureas, triazines and organophosphorus pesticides. The most commonly detected residues were of endosulfan...and DDT residues...In contrast, the herbicides diuron, atrazine and ametryn were most commonly detected in sediments from drains in sugarcane areas, with maximum concentrations of 120, 70 and 130ug/kg dw, respectively. p132 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Helicopter applications of granulated formulations of atrazine in forestry operations in Western Australia resulted in concentratins in streams between 0.8 and 38ug/L (McAlpine & Van der Weile 1990).p132 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Triazine herbicides have a low ability to bind to soils and are therefore relatively mobile. Hence they have often been found in groundwater in rural regions of Australia (Bauld 1994). The National Registration Authority (NRA 1997) described atrazine as one of the most widely used herbicides in Australian agriculture, with high potential to contaminate ground and surface water, and narrow safety margins for aquatic organisms. The NRA (1997) proposed measures to monitor and reduce atrazine contamination of aquatic systems, particularly to eliminate poor agricultural practices. Simazine may also occur in groundwater but it is not as mobile as atrazine.p132/3 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

The then Land and Water Sciences Division of the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (now in the Bureau of Resource Sciences) has conducted most of the groundwater surveys throughout Australia. Bauld (1994) analysed groundwaters from four irrigation areas in South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Triazine herbicides, most commonly atrazine, were most often detected. In some areas as many as 50 - 80% of bores contained detectable residues of atrazine and/or simazine and their degradation products but drinking water guidelines were exceeded in only 7 - 15% of samples. Atrazine levels were low compared to a median of 0.05ug/L and maximum of 40ug/L in the USA (Simpson et al. 1992). p134 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"Groundwater surveys of irrigation areas in the Wakool-Cadell (sampled in 1995) and Denimein-Berriquin (sampled in 1996) districts of NSW detected atrazine, desethylatrazine (DEA; a metabolite of atrazine), terbutryn and 2,4,5-T, at concentrations of up to 0.3ug/L, although most concentrations were much lower (Watkins et al. 1998)". p134 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"Jiwan and Riley (1993) detected atrazine in around 6% of groundwater samples at five sites in alluvial aquifers under the Liverpool Plains in the north-west of NSW. In the lower Namoi Valley, atrazine concentrations from less than 0.1 to 5.8ug/L were found in groundwater (Boey & Cooper 1996). The most vulnerable sites for ground water contamination by atrazine are often in floodplain areas where shallow perched water tables exist (Boey & Cooper 1996)". p134 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"…Bauld (1996) reported that almost half of the 51 groundwater samples (49%) from the Shepparton East area of Victoria contained detectable pesticide residues and 43% contained triazines (atrazine and simazine). In contrast, there were very few pesticides found in groundwater in 1994 from a predominantly dryland agriculture region, the Goulburn River Catchment in the Nagambie-Mangalore area of Victoria (Watkins et al 1999a). They detected simazine and atrazine in only one ground (5%) and one surface water at concentrations between 0.06-0.96ug/L, and only in waters less than 25 years old…Ivkovic et al (2001) found atrazine (0.02 & 0.04ug/L), simazine (up to 0.45ug/L in 10 bores) and bromacil (2.5ug/L, 1 bore) in the Cobram area of northern Victoria. P134/5 Traces of herbicides were found in groundwater in horticultural areas of the Gippsland district of Victoria in 1994 (Chapman & Stranger 1995)… and atrazine (0.06ug/L) at Orbost…" p134/5 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"…Keating et al. (1996) reported traces of atrazine and hexazinone in the Callide Valley, and chlorfenvinphos and 2,4-D in 3 of 52 samples from the Bundaberg region…In a survey of the Lower Burdekin basin in Queensland in 1992 and 1993, atrazine was detected frequently, mostly less than 0.1ug/L but one site had between 1.3 and 1.4 ug/L (Keating et al 1996)…Pesticide levels in groundwaters of the Border Rivers catchment of southern Queensland and northern NSW sampled in 1994 and 1995 were all <0.1 ug/L (Please et al. 2000). Only atrazine, DEA and metolachlor in four surface water samples…" p134/5 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"Western Australia The Water Authority of Western Australia (WAWA) has monitored pesticides at various sites over the past 25 years. Sheridan reported that atrazine was detected in 14 out of 44 unconfined groundwater samples…" p136 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"Thomas et al(1998) tested the acute toxicity of ten pesticides used in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), NSW to the Australian cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia. The pesticides atrazine, bensulfuron-methyl, bromacil. Chlorpyrifos, diuron, malathion, metolachlor, molinate, simazine and thiobencarb had been detected at elevated levels in drainage channels in previous irrigation seasons (Korth et al. 1995). With the exceptions of molinate and diuron, the acute toxicity decreased when tests were performed in irrigation supply water, in comparison to laboratory water…" p141 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"…Forestry spraying operations with atrazine significantly increased the daytime in-stream invertebrate drift (Davies et al. 1994). The initial spraying disturbed trout but this disturbance did not seem to affect their growth rate. The long-term effect on stream plant functioning was not studied. The authors suggested that atrazine concentrations between 1 and 20ug/L for several weeks were unlikely to cause major changes in aquatic fauna, although sublethal effects may occur above 10-20ug/L. Concentrations above 100ug/L, which occurred in about 8% of cases, may have short-term lethal effects on organisms. This resulted in Forestry Tasmania suspending the use of atrazine". p142 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"With increasing land area being converted to agricultural production, particularly sugarcane, inputs of pesticides into the Great Barrier Reef area have increased with time… The quantities of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, and herbicides atrazine, diuron and 2,4-D applied in the Herbert catchment have increased in the last 15 years…The fate of these pesticides in river and Reef ecosystems is largely unknown (Johnson & Ebert 2000). In the analyses of sediment and intertidal seagrass samples from along the Queensland coast in 1997 and 1998, Haynes et al (2000a) found atrazine between 0.1 and 0.3ug/kg, and diuron from 0.2 to 10.1ug/kg (up to 1.7ug/kg in seagrass). The highest levels were mainly in samples collected along the high rainfall, tropical coast between Townsville and Port Douglas and in Moreton Bay. Some herbicide residues were found in only 13% of aquatic fauna samples from Northern Queensland rivers between 1990 and 1993 (Hunter et al. 1996); atrazine and low levels of 2,4,5-T were found in a few samples from the Johnstone River, and 2,4-D was found in both Johnstone and Daintree Rivers (Hunter et al 1996)." p145/6 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

"Muller et al. (2000) suggested that photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides such as diuron and atrazine transported to the Reef environment by flood events might cause additional stress to marine plants…" p146 Pesticide Use in Australia A Review Undertaken by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Groundwater Pollution (Getting to Know Groundwater - Volume 1 Notes Edition 2 July 2001 CGS)

p157 "Groundwater is thought to be protected from OC pesticides, because generally these are strongly adsorbed and accumulate in soils. There is little data on pesticides in groundwater in Australia, but where these have been identified, in all cases they are well below the health guidelines, although these could be of concern where groundwater discharges into the environment. Incidences of reported pesticide contamination of groundwater are shown in Table 11.

Table 11: Summary of reported pesticide detections in Australian groundwaters, after Kookana et al (1998)

Pesticides are affected by sorption/desorption processes, by volatilisation, and chemical and microbiological degradation. In the latter case, decay can transform pesticides into more problematic daughter products, which are either more persistent ot more toxic than the parent compound.

Losses as chemical drift hits vineyards Advertiser 3/12/07 LECHELLE EARL MT GAMBIER

MORE than 50 hectares of Limestone Coast vines have been damaged by a land-owner allegedly spraying chemicals.

At least five properties in the Wrattonbully wine region have been affected by the vapour drift, which is being investigated by Department of Primary Industry

Resources SA in conjunction with the Limestone Coast ChemCare Committee. Committee chairman Andrew Kennedy said it was believed Phenoxy Herbicide, which may have been applied to a property in the first week of November, was responsible for the wide-spread damage.

"Vapour drift has thee potential to travel up to 20km and it appears that a chemical user has disregarded the need to be aware of the key roles played by wind speed, wind direction, humidity and temperature," he said.

Naradin Vineyard manager Rex Hutchison estimated up to 14ha of his vines had been affected, with the Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling vine leaves showing deformities.

"We're still not clear about the degree of damage but it's definitely going to affect trade," he said.

The Wrattonbully Wine Industry Association has also condemned the damage, describing it as a major setback for the local industry.Chairman Neil Ottoson estimated one affected vineyard could face losses of more than $200,000.

The Limestone Coast ChemCare Committee has inspected the damaged vines and has con-firmed that crop losses are likely."We also believe that the problem is more widespread than we are able to confirm, as many grapegrowers may be yet to discover the damage to their crops," Mr kennedy said.

Region	Pesticide(s)	Use	Reference
Shepparton, East Victoria	Atrazine, desisopropylatrazine, simazine	Irrigated agriculture, dominated by fruit	Bauld et al, 1992
-do-	Atrazine, deisopropylatrazine, simazine, chlorpyrifos, endosulphan, DDE, heptachlor epoxide	Irrigated agriculture, dominated by apple, pear, stone fruit orchards	Bauld, 1996
Burdekin River Delta, Queensland	Atrazine	Domestic/town use, sugarcane	Bauld 1996
Bundaberg, Queensland	2,4-D, atrazine, chlorphenvinphos		In Keeting et al, 1996
Caboolture/Beerwah, Queensland	EDB		Simpson et al, 1993
Lower Namoi Valley, NSW	Atrazine	Weed control, drainage/irrigation channels	Jiwan and Riley, 1993
Southeast of South Australia	Atrazine, deethylatrazine, simazine	Irrigation channels, forest reserve, urban	Stadter et al, 1992
Padthaway, South Australia	Atrazine	Irrigation	Fennell and Stadter, 1991
Southeast of South Australia	Dieldrin, lindane, chlorpyrifos, alachlor	Dairying, potato cropping, horticulture, viticulture, grazing, pines	Schmidt et al, 1996
Perth, Esperance, Ord River, Western Australia	Atrazine	Urban, irrigation	Sheridan, 1991
Perth, Western Australia	Atrazine, fenamiphos	Urban	Appleyard 1995b
Perth, Western Australia	DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, lindane, chlorpyrifos	Urban	Gerritse et al, 1988

Agricultural Pesticide Issues Australia Snapshot

For Victorian Issues see here

How Can We Get Better Management of Pesticides in Our Catchments, When Authorities Let Children Swim in Gender Bender Pesticides?

Problems with Atrazine

Groundwater Pollution (Getting to Know Groundwater - Volume 1 Notes Edition 2 July 2001 CGS)