Dangerous agricultural chemicals found in New South Wales raised health and environmental concerns

In an alarming discovery, air samples taken from public land west of Narromine have revealed a mix of agricultural chemicals, including dinitro-ortho-cresol (DNOC), a pesticide banned in the United States since 1991 due to its harmful effects on human health and the environment. The testing, conducted by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), was initiated after numerous complaints by local farmers about pesticides drifting across the landscape, causing damage to trees and crops.

The samples not only tested positive for DNOC, which has never been approved for use in Australia, but also for other agricultural chemicals like atrazine and diuron. These substances are commonly used as weedkillers on farms but are not expected to be present in public areas.

Bruce Maynard, a fourth-generation farmer operating a mixed cropping and grazing property in the area, expressed deep concerns about the risks posed by the chemical exposure. “Children and those in compromised health situations are most at risk,” Maynard noted. He also highlighted the severe environmental damage being observed, including the significant defoliation of ancient trees, which he believes is not due to drought but rather to the chemicals used in nearby cotton farms.

While the EPA’s tests confirmed the presence of these toxic chemicals, they did not measure the concentrations, making it difficult to assess the potential health impacts immediately. An EPA spokesperson emphasized that the detection of these pesticides does not automatically indicate a risk to health or the environment. However, the presence of DNOC is particularly baffling to authorities as it has never been licensed for use in the region.

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Further complicating matters, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) confirmed that DNOC has been banned in Europe and would not be approved in Australia due to its known toxicological effects. Dr. Nicholas Chartres, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, pointed out the grave implications of finding banned pesticides like DNOC, which can severely affect the liver, kidney, and nervous system after acute exposure.

The EPA has responded to these findings by issuing numerous formal warnings, clean-up notices, and penalty notices since the beginning of the study in 2022. The agency plans to use the collected data to implement a more extensive pesticide monitoring program across the state.

Community members, however, like Maynard, argue that the testing and reporting have been insufficient. “People aren’t being informed in real-time, leaving the community defenseless against potential exposure,” he said, calling for more transparent and immediate reporting methods.