endosulphans

[maxi]

anyone got any info on the amount of endosulfan that is used by the farmers around here ??

www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-30/pe ... n-concerns

[pink nipper]

Maxi,

This is one of the chemicals used in Agricultural sprays in this region.

They spray alot of this stuff on Maccas and dip our strawberries in it - yum

The APVNA (Australias governing agricultural chemical spray body) is the one that allows theses chemicals to be sprayed and are the government's own advisory board. The APVNA are 90% funded by the chemical comanies themselves. It's sort of like locking up the chickens at night and then giving the key to a fox.

You can have a look here for more information about Indias people and a comparisson to our own Richmond River-

www.toxicvalleythemovie.com


Nip.

[Prof]

From the Northern Star 16th June 2010

ENDOSULFAN, a chemical used on about 20 per cent of Northern Rivers macadamia plantations to control fruit spotting bug, will be phased out in the US.

The move comes after the chemical was found in the fat of mammals living at the North and South poles.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, which controls the chemical’s use in Australia, was looking at research showing endosulfan could accumulate in the food chain, spokesman Dr Simon Cubit said.

“New research shows it evaporates in tropical and temperate regions and enters the airstream and crystallizes in the polar regions,” he said.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said there were unacceptable ‘neurological and reproductive risks to farm workers and wildlife’ associated with the chemical’s use.

However, Dr Cubit said the authority’s concerns about the chemical were environmental and there was no health risk to humans because of strict controls put in place around its use in Australia.

The authority has asked the Department of Environment to provide advice about whether the chemical’s environmental impact on the arctic poles would trigger legislation in Australia.

If it is found to come under Australian jurisdiction the authority can take regulatory action.

Dr Cubit said the authority would first be required to look at mitigation of the chemical’s effects. “But how can you mitigate a risk like this?” he asked.

Australian Macadamia Society chief executive Jolyon Burnett said the ‘writing has been on the wall’ for endosulfan for some time.

“The community is looking to us for change,” he said.

In response the industry was looking at softer chemical controls, biological controls and on-farm changes in practices that would reduce the requirement for the chemical’s use.

Mr Burnett said when the chemical was applied under the conditions of use on its label there would be no harm to farm workers.

Australia is among a handful of countries, including India and Brazil, which still use endosulfan. More than 60 countries, including New Zealand, have banned it.

The review is expected to take a month. Endosulfan sales in Australia are worth $2.3 million a year.

[Prof]

This from the AVPMA...???????

Endosulfan Ruled out as a Potential Cause of Noosa Fish Health Issues

25 November 2009

Reports of two-headed fish embryos and several other adverse findings at a Noosa River fish hatchery in January this year sparked concerns at a local, state and national level. Early media reports suggested the possible involvement of agricultural chemicals. In response, the Queensland Government established a Noosa Fish Health Investigation Taskforce (external site) to investigate and report on the incidents.

Media speculation about the incidents nominated specific chemicals that might have been responsible. One of these was the insecticide endosulfan.

The Noosa Fish Health Investigation Taskforce undertook an extensive investigation and published an interim report in June 2009 (external site). Of the six events investigated, the Taskforce accepted that the involvement of agricultural chemicals could be a plausible explanation for a number of the events, but noted that there was no evidence of any such causal involvement.

However, the Taskforce has recently ruled out any involvement of endosulfan. In a statement provided to the APVMA, the Taskforce indicated that:
The Noosa Fish Health Investigation Taskforce has at this point eliminated endosulfan as a potential cause of deaths and deformities at a commercial fish hatchery at Noosa in the six events being investigated. Endosulfan was not used by the neighbouring macadamia property during the period under investigation. There was also some suggestion that because the commercial hatchery uses river water and fish from the river in its operations, pesticides in the Noosa River may have been involved in the incidents reported. However, environmental monitoring of water from the Noosa River and its feeder lakes has not indicated that endosulfan is present at concentrations that would be harmful to aquatic life.

[pink nipper]

Yep and these chemicals are also really bad for marine life.
Just like on land chemicals like Roundup also kill the oysters, seagrass and kelps during runoff into the water
Just like Endosulfan on land it stops fish from reproducing "Noosa River notorious two headed bass" in the water
Not sure of the solution here except to stop using the stuff altogether.

Nip.

[davecanfish]

Media Release from the APVMA

Registration of endosulfan cancelled in Australia

Date: 12 October 2010
Ref: 2010/12

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) today advises that it has cancelled the registration of the insecticide endosulfan.

This decision follows a recent assessment of new information by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPC) that the prolonged use of endosulfan is likely to lead to adverse environmental effects via spray drift and run-off.

A full risk assessment conducted by DSEWPC concluded that these long term risks could not be mitigated through restrictions on use or variations to label instructions.

From today, agricultural products containing endosulfan are no longer registered in Australia. The three current approvals for endosulfan have also been cancelled, and the five products containing the chemical will be phased out over the next two years.

This time period has been imposed because of the relatively limited amounts of endosulfan in use and is in line with phase-out periods imposed by other national regulators who have similarly taken recent action against endosulfan.

Risks to human health were not a factor in the APVMA decision. While recent and emerging toxicological data were assessed by the Office of Chemical Safety and Environmental Health, it has been determined that the current regulatory regime has been effective in managing these risks.

Some of the new environmental data on which the APVMA’s decision is based emerged following the recent nomination of endosulfan to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This nomination focussed more attention on endosulfan and produced a large volume of new information on its environmental fate and effects.

ENDS.
I think a 2 yr phase out is too long.

[maxi]

Australia banned endosulfan October 12, 2010[79][80][81] with a two year phase-out for stock of endosulfan containing products.[79] Australia had, in 2008, announced endosulfan would not be banned.[82] Citing New Zealand's ban, the Australian Greens called for "zero tolerance" of endosulfan residue on food.[83]


4.5 mnths to go .. wonder whos going to regulate it after that date ..????

this from wikipedia.... if u want to get scared its a good read ...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosulfan

[maxi]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/251 ... kness.html