The latest results from Tasmania’s water monitoring program have again demonstrated that Tasmanian waterways are free from any unsafe levels of pesticides.

Results released on 11 February 2010, demonstrate that despite testing for 18 pesticides at 55 sites (nearly 1000 tests) throughout Tasmania, trace levels of pesticides were only detected at five locations.

All of the detections that did occur were at levels that were well below Australia’s strict drinking water health guidelines. Only two pesticides were detected at levels that were even measurable. These were:

· Metribuzin at 0.18ppb, and

· Metalaxyl at 0.42 and 0.5ppb.

A concentration of 0.18ppb is equivalent to less than half of one millilitre (less than one small drop) in an Olympic sized swilling pool. Metribuzin at this concentration is 0.4% of the Australian health guideline. To put it another way, a person would need to drink 300 litres of this water every day to exceed the amount of pesticide considered to be very safe by Australia’s National Health and Medical research Council.

Atrazine, despite being frequently accused of contaminating Tasmania’s waterways, was detected at one location, and even then, only at a trace level.

These results show that Tasmania’s farmers and foresters are already using these agricultural chemicals safely and responsibly, without any adverse impacts on the health of Tasmanians or the natural environment. Their use enables Tasmania’s farmers to produce healthy, safe, affordable and nutritious food for both domestic and export markets.

 Contact

Bernard Meadley,

Acting Chief Executive Officer,

CropLife Australia Limited

Ph: 02 6230 6399

Mobile: 0419 436 331

 Water monitoring results prove Tasmanian farmers and foresters are using pesticides responsibly.pdf