Something's In The Air
The Age
Monday March 13, 1995
From now on, you'll know what you're spraying around the home.
HOW often have we heard the slogans used to advertise household pesticides: ``Deadly to insects. Harmless to humans." Or in the case of ``green" products: ``Completely organic. Safe to children and pets."
Rattle snake venom is organic, too. And so is tea-tree oil. But that doesn't mean we should ingest either of them. So how safe is safe?
What do those terms ``non-toxic", ``organic" and ``hypo-allergenic" really mean when we read them on a can of flyspray?' Who should we believe?
In the past, the use of such chemicals was regulated by eight different agencies, one in each state and territory. But from 15 March, this clumsy and confusing system will be streamlined under a new federal body empowered to assess, register and regulate the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in their broadacre and domestic applications.
From sheep dip to flyspray, from superphosphate to rose food, it will all come under the National Registration Authority.
The NRA has wide-ranging powers. Before a manufacturer of insecticide can launch, vary or re-label a product in any way, it must be submitted to the NRA for assessment on a range of criteria: how effective is it for the uses proposed; how safe is it to humans and non-target species; and what is its environmental impact?
The news is particularly good for consumers. Public consultation is part of the process. Summaries of assessments are available and comment is invited. Moreover, under NRA legislation, the product label becomes a legal document. Mary Barr, director of public affairs and customer services, explains: ``It means that the copy proposed by a manufacturer for the label must first be submitted to the NRA. We check it against various codes and standards. Any claims made must be consistent with what the product can deliver. And it must specify precisely conditions relating to its use, or more important, its safe use: how often and how much, with what protective clothing, and so on."
The new system also increases the responsibilities of the consumer. In the past, we might have shrugged off the label content as so much advertising hype. Says Mary: ``It is vital that users of chemicals take notice of the label because it's there to protect them. The product has been approved by the NRA, provided it is used in accordance with the directions."
While consumers now have additional protection against the grandiose claims of manufacturers of household sprays, the NRA stresses it is not in the business of pushing chemicals and the less we use the better. Moreover, says Mary, we need to manage chemicals in a way that minimises the development of pest resistance.
As the impact of chemicals on the environment becomes increasingly apparent, we want to believe that green equals safe. It's a noble sentiment, but Mary warns consumers to be wary of over-the-top claims.
``If approved, the label directions have been put in such a way that compliance with them is considered safe. But even natural substances derived from plants can be dangerous. And products claiming to be green still get the same assessment and treatment from the NRA."
In 1993, 27 million cans were filled with insecticide, including space and residual sprays and personal repellents such as Aerogard. The Aerosol Association of Australia says it is working hard to be a good corporate citizen. Executive officer Richard Baker says: ``The Ozone Protection Act of 1989 saw the prohibition of CFCs in this industry.
And under the Steel Can Industry Waste Reduction Agreement signed on 2 March, all aerosols are now recyclable through 104 local councils across Australia. BHP has set a target of 25 per cent recycling by the end of 1996 and they are now between 16 and 18 per cent already."
© 1995 The Age