| NATIONAL TOXIC NETWORK SUBMISSION |
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National Toxics Network NTN is a community-based network with the objectives of pollution reduction, protection of environmental health and environmental justice for all. NTN was first formed in 1993 and since then has grown as a national network to support community and environmental organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Environmental Assessments The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) Environmental Assessment concludes that it is “unlikely that Atrazine, when used in accordance with the label recommendations, will contaminate waterways to any extent likely to present a hazard to the environment, or to human beings through the consumption of contaminated drinking water.” However, it acknowledges that in storm events levels of atrazine in water will increase and may temporarily exceed the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) guidelines. While it is claimed that long-term contamination at levels above the ANZECC guideline is unlikely, it is also acknowledged that safety margins are narrow. The narrow safety margins are of considerable concern with the potential increase in environmental exposures associated with the more recently introduced use of atrazine on triazine tolerant canola. The will substantially increase the amount of atrazine used in Australia, especially in very wet areas where raised bed cropping practices are used. By the mid 1990s, atrazine had already been recognised as one of the most commonly detected pesticides in surface and groundwater around Australia (eg, central and north west Tasmania, South Australia). In 1995, the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation identified atrazine as the most commonly detected pesticide in the valleys of the central and north-west regions of NSW.2 The chemical had also been identified as the most frequently detected herbicide in the US National Surface Water Monitoring Program. Atrazine or its metabolite was also detected in 80% of samples in a Canadian study of agricultural watersheds,3 as well as being measured in rain and fog.4 In Tasmania in 1994, 20% of water samples were contaminated with Atrazine and Simazine at concentrations reported to cause sub-lethal impacts on biota (20 –100 ppb) and 28% of samples had concentrations within the range reported to cause mortality (20 - 500 ppb).5 At that time approximately 27,000 hectares were under hardwood plantation in Tasmania using 40 tonnes of Atrazine and 5.5 tonnes of Simazine per annum. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2003, 208,000 hectares were under plantation of which 129,000 hectare were hardwood. The APVMA protocols have clearly failed to prevent atrazine contamination of water, as is evident in the Tasmanian case of the Carpenters who lived adjacent to forestry plantations. Michelle and Howard Carpenter had their bore water tested in March 2004, before aerial spraying began, and the water was clean. Six weeks after the spraying on August 18, the herbicide atrazine was detected at a level of 0.72 parts per billion (ppb) in the bore supplying their drinking water.8 The NH&MRC Australian Drinking Water Guideline value for atrazine is 0.1 ppb and the health value is 40 ppb. The US health standard is 3 ppb, the World Health Organisation's standard is 2 ppb, and Europe's is 0.5 ppb. The level detected in the Carpenter’s bore exceeds the Australian Drinking Water Guideline of 0.1 ppb atrazine and is above the EU health standard. Human Health Toxicological Assessment In 2000, after a five year review of industry and government data the US EPA found atrazine to be a potent carcinogen. They concluded that short-term exposure to atrazine had the potential to cause a range of reproductive effects and developmental defects, including miscarriage, and delayed vaginal opening and penis development during puberty (EPA, 2000). Chronic symptoms could include weight loss, cardiovascular damage and muscle degeneration. (USEPA 2002). EDITORS NOTE: Our government in the this same report concluded initially that Atrazine in the water is at acceptable levels, then when a detailed report came out 5 years later found Atrazine that is common in EVERY states water concluded it was a HARMFUL CARCINOGEN. So next time you hear of reports of harmless pesticides or carcinogens being accidentally dropped into your water supply, are you going to wait 5 years before that government tells you that ooops we stuffed up..!! What more reasoning do you need to go to R/O water.?? |
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