Chemical residues

Chemicals applied to crops, animals, water or soil leave residues which break down over time. RLPBs are among the industry and government bodies playing a role in a numberof programs arimed at managing chemical residues in soil.

Common residues include:

• banned organochlorines that are persistent in soils
• antibiotics
• pesticides such as drenches and external parasite products
• heavy metals such as lead or cadmium
• other agricultural chemicals.

Keeping residues out of the food chain

RLPB animal health staff play an ongoing role in surveillance, certification and education to ensure these and other residues stay out of the food chain by:

• carrying out on-farm investigations to identify sources of residue
• working with landholders to either eliminate the source of the residue or mitigate its effects
• investigating residue detections at abattoirs
• using tracing systems such as NLIS to identify the source of a contamination

District vets and animal health rangers have played a key role in the successful NORM (the National Organochlorine Residue Management) program during the last decade.

They also work with national programs such as Livestock Production Assurance (LPA), which are in place to pick up any traces of residues at slaughter in order to assure markets that Australian products are residue free.

Getting advice on residues

Board staff can carry out chemical residue history checks on certain PICs, for example to aid in LPA certification.

They also provide advice on residue-related animal health issues, for example:

• lead poisoning
• helix residues
• endosulfan or other residues.

If you are concerned about a possible chemical residue contamination problem on your land you should contact your local RLPB for advice.

Certification

Certification that livestock are free of disease and residue is essential for continued and competitive access to domestic and international livestock markets.

Boards carry out certification for properties and stock within their district. Types of certification include:

• providing information as part of property searches
• export certification
• certification to allow for interstate movement of stock.

To find out about animal health or residue certification for stock or a property, or for information about fees associated with certification, contact your local Board.

More information

Read more about chemical residues and ways of minimising their risk.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI)
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (www.apvma.gov.au)