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| Pesticide Monitoring in Water CatchmentsIntroduction
Pesticides Monitored
Sampling Locations
>>> Monitoring ResultsFurther Information
A program to monitor Tasmanian water catchments for a range of herbicides and other pesticides was launched by the Minister for Primary Industries and Water on 19 January 2005.
The baseline monitoring program measures pesticide levels in rivers and streams at a number of testing station locations across Tasmania on a quarterly basis.
The list of pesticides monitored includes those most commonly used in agriculture and forestry in Tasmania. Other pesticides have been chosen due to their high toxicity, or their potential mobility in the environment.
The flood monitoring program measures pesticide levels in water samples collected during flood events at sites on the Little Swanport, George and Duck Rivers. Automatic sampling equipment is installed at these sites to collect samples during periods of significant rise in water level. The Esperance River was also monitored as part of this program but this has ceased form September 2009 and a new site will be established at a yet to be determined site.
Spray Information and Referral Unit (SIRU) conducts extensive water testing throughout Tasmania whilst following up previous positive results from the pesticide monitoring program. SIRU also conducts sampling in public rivers and waterways in the course of investigations into chemical spraying incidents.
Samples are analysed at the NATA-accredited Analytical Services Tasmania laboratories in Hobart and the results are collated and published on this website.
More recently in 2009 DPIPWE conducted a Ground Water Monitoring Project across Tasmania. This involved a one off sample being taken from 58 bores and tested for the same 19 pesticides tested for the Baseline and Flood Monitoring Programs.
The list of pesticides being monitored has developed since the start of the program and will continue to do so, depending on the availability of laboratory standards and the commissioning of new laboratory instrumentation. The current list includes:
1. Allans Rivulet upstream of Taranna
2. Ansons River downstream of Big Boggy Creek
3. Apsley River upstream of Coles Bay Rd Bridge
4. Black River at South Forest
5. Break O'Day River at Killymoon
6. Brid River 2.6 km upstream of tidal limit
7. Cam River upstream of Somerset water supply
8. Carlton River at tidal limit
9. Clyde River downstream of Lake Crescent
10. Coal River at Baden
11. Coal River at Richmond
12. Coal River downstream of Craigbourne Dam
13. Don River upstream of Railway
14. Douglas River upstream of Tasman Highway
15. Duck River upstream of Scotchtown Rd
16. Esperance River at Dover water supply
17. Flowerdale River at Moorleah
18. Forth River near Treatment Plant
19. George River at St Helens water supply
20. Great Forester River 2 km upstream of Forester Rd Bridge
21. Great Forester River at Prosperity Rd
22. Huon River at Judbury
23. Huon River upstream of Frying Pan Creek
24. Inglis River at Emerald Vale Road
25. Jackeys Creek downstream of Jackeys Marsh
26. Jordan River at Mauriceton
27. Leven River at Bannons Bridge
28. Liffey River at Carrick
29. Little Swanport River 3 km upstream of Tasman Highway
30. Little Swanport River downstream of Eastern Marshes Rivulet
31. Macquarie River 1.25 km upstream of Elizabeth River
32. Macquarie River at Trefusis
33. Macquarie River downstream of Elizabeth River
34. Meander River at Strathbridge
35. Meredith River at Swansea
36. Mersey River at Latrobe
37. Montague River at Stuarts Rd
38. Nelsen River at Temma Rd Bridge
39. Nile River at Deddington
40. North Esk at Ballroom
41. Pipers River downstream of Yarrow Creek
42. Prosser River upstream of lower dam
43. Ransom River at Sweet Hills
44. Ringarooma River at Moorina
45. Rubicon River at tidal limit
46. Scamander River upstream of Scamander water supply
47. Snug Rivulet upstream of Snug Tiers Rd Bridge
48. South Esk upstream of Macquarie River at Perth
49. St Pauls River upstream of South Esk River
50. Swan River at Hardings Falls
51. Swan River at the Grange
52. Tooms River downstream of Tooms Lake
53. Tyenna River at Newbury
54. Welcome River at Woolnorth
55. White Kangaroo Rivulet
For added clarity increase the size of the map to 125% before printing.
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
A complete list of results from the program so far, including the twentieth round of testing for the baseline monitoring program and the flood monitoring program, is presented below in two print-friendly PDF documents:
Pesticide Monitoring Results - Baseline Monitoring Program
Pesticide Monitoring Results - Flood Monitoring Program (Esperance, Little Swanport, George and Duck Rivers)
Sampling during flood monitoring usually consists of 12 samples being automatically taken by the monitoring equipment. When posting these results on the website, all positive readings are posted, however, when multiple ND (nil detection) results occur on any day, only one result is posted on the website for that day.
Pesticide Monitoring Results - Investigations and Follow-Up Testing by SIRU
Pesticide Monitoring Results - Ground Water Monitoring Project
Table Interpretation Notes
Units
Shown in the results table as micrograms of pesticide per litre of water (ug/L). A microgram is 1 millionth of a gram or 10-6 grams (also referred to as parts per billion).
Method Reporting Limit (MRL)
The lowest concentration of an analyte that can be determined with an acceptable level of uncertainty. When pesticides are identified at or above the MRL the identity of the pesticide and concentration level will be shown on the respective tables.
Method Detection Limit (MDL)
The smallest amount or concentration that can be readily distinguished from zero and be positively identified according to predetermined criteria and/or confidence levels.
When pesticides are identified at or above the MDL but below the MRL, only the identity of the pesticide but not the concentration level is confidently known.
The identity of the pesticide will appear on the respective table and be recorded as TD (trace detected). Recording of trace detections has only commenced within tables since the start of 2009. Prior to this, detections below minimum reporting limits would not have been recorded.
‘ND’
Not detected. Reported where a pesticide was not found at a level equal to or above the method detection limit (MDL). Prior to 2009 this applied to pesticides found at or below the minimum reporting limit (MRL).
Blank space
A blank space entry in a table indicates that the laboratory did not test for a particular analyte.
Guideline Value
These levels are based on the analytical limit of determination (the level at which the pesticide can be reliably detected using practicable, readily available and validated analytical methods). These values are not health-based values in terms of potential for toxic effects. In terms of drinking water, exceeding the guideline value indicates that undesirable contamination has occurred and they indicate the levels at which steps should be taken to determine the source and to stop further contamination. It does not necessarily indicate a hazard to public health.
Health Value
The level published in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for use by health authorities in managing the health risks associated with inadvertent exposure, such as a spill or misuse of a pesticide. The values are set at about 10% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for an adult of 70 kg consuming 2 litres of water per day. The values are very conservative and include a range of safety factors.
Contact: Registrar of Chemical ProductsChristian Goninon
134 Macquarie Street
GPO Box 44
HOBART TAS 7001
Phone: 03 6233 8591
Fax: 03 6223 6386
Email: Christian.Goninon@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Department switchboard: 1300 368 550 (local call cost within Australia)
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