Possessing or using any of the following organochlorines (OCs) in Queensland is illegal:

• DDT
• Aldrin
• Endrin
• Chlordane
• Heptachlor
• Dieldrin
• HCB
• BHC.

The following OCs are not approved for use in Queensland:

• Lindane
• Methoxychlor.

Organochlorines are a risk to Australian agricultural produce

Persistent OCs remain in the environment for a long time after they have been used. If an animal ingests soil contaminated with OCs, the OCs are stored in the fat deposits of the animal. This means that there is a potential risk that the meat and milk products of cattle and other grazing animals will be contaminated with OCs.

Extraneous Residue Limits (ERLs) have been set to establish the maximum limits (or concentrations) of residues that are allowed in food. These international standards protect the health of consumers and ensure those involved in the food trade follow fair practices. An ERL is expressed in milligrams of the chemical per kilogram of the food (mg/kg).

It is very important that you maintain OC contaminants below the ERL or the levels set by major export markets. Detection of OC contaminants above accepted levels could affect access to overseas markets and have disastrous consequences for industries such as those involved with food-producing animals. In 1987, the US market was temporarily closed because of concerns over OC contamination.

Sources of organochlorine contamination

Persistent OC contaminants may still exist in areas where there was crop production when OCs were still approved for use. Crops on which OCs may have been used include:

• sugar cane
• cotton
• bananas
• tobacco
• apples
• pears
• potatoes.

In the past, you were also allowed to use OCs in cattle and sheep dips, in yards, on fence posts, on power/telephone poles and in buildings treated for termites. Some of these structures may still contain OC contaminants.

The Biosecurity Regulation 2016 adopts the contaminant standards for heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine chemicals from schedule 19 and schedule 21 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as the acceptable levels for contaminants in plant and animal food commodities.

Organochlorine contamination in animals

Most OC contamination in animals occurs when they ingest contaminated soil. The amount of soil consumed depends largely on the amount of grass cover. Contaminated soil can also be transferred to herbage by dust, raindrop splash or flooding.

Contamination of farm water supplies is rarely caused by run-off from contaminated soils as the contaminants are tightly bound to the sediment.

You can sample soil to determine the level of organochlorine contamination in areas of your property.

Grazing paddocks

To sample soil in grazing paddocks:

• collect sub-samples at a depth of 10-15mm, at 10-20 separate sites chosen at random across the whole paddock
• thoroughly mix the sub-samples together
• submit a combined (composite) 500g sample of soil to the laboratory.

Contaminated hot spots

You will need to take specific samples from any contaminated hot spots (e.g. dip site or the pump-out area). You should collect surface soil samples of 200-300g (about a trowel full) from each site.

For pens immediately adjacent to a contaminated area, you should:

• take 5 soil samples from places evenly spaced around the pen
• combine the samples into 1 container for each pen to give an average chemical contaminant level for that pen.

For holding paddocks, you should:

• take samples from contour lines drawn 2m, 4m and 8m from the contamination area
• collect from 5 sites equally spaced along each contour line
• combine the samples into one container
• submit 1 sample for each of the 3 contour lines.

Submitting the soil samples to the laboratory

Before you submit your soil samples to the laboratory, place them in a clean sealed glass jar or polythene bag. Mark the jar or bag with:

• date of collection
• property name
• a unique identifier for each location.

Keep an accurate map showing the location of each sample that has been submitted to the laboratory.

It is important the samples you have collected are not contaminated with plant foliage or root material and that each soil type is sampled separately. If you suspect a high level of OC, mark the sample with the words 'hot spot' to avoid contaminating the laboratory.

You should also contact the laboratory to confirm the cost of testing before sending your samples.

Soil sampling methods are screening tests only and will give you an indication of the concentration of OC contaminants at a site. The results are not absolute statements of the presence or absence of OC contamination, but they are indicators that you can use for risk assessment and to support the decisions you make about OC risk management and grazing of food-producing animals on a property.

The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) can provide you with a list of laboratories that are approved for OC testing in Queensland. Call NATA on 1800 621 666 or search for accredited laboratories online.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 you have a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to manage the risks from organochlorine (OC) chemicals. Your GBO obliges you to minimise biosecurity risks that concern human health, the environment, and the economy.

If your property has cattle and is at risk of organochlorine contamination, it will be classified with a status under the National Organochlorine Residue Management (NORM) program. If the continued presence of OCs causes a biosecurity risk on a place, the place may be declared a restricted place under the Biosecurity Act 2014. The status of your property is determined by the risk of OC contamination in cattle produced on your property. Once declared, restrictions may apply on how the place can be used and on how cattle on the place can be dealt with. Biosecurity Queensland maintains a list of restricted places on the Biosecurity Register.

Information on the residue status assigned to a place or cattle on that place is provided to National Extended Residue Program (ERP) database and the National Livestock Identification System. Authorised recipients, including saleyard and abattoir operators, can access the data before sale or slaughter to determine the OC status and the relevant contaminant testing rates, enabling businesses to make residue risk management decisions when slaughtering animals.

Organochlorine status classifications

Non-LPA properties will be targeted for testing

^{ERP = Extended Residue Program, OC = Organochlorine, MRL = Maximum Residual Limits}

^{* Costs for residue analysis are a commercial matter between the abattoir and the vendor.}

^{# Industry funding is used for residue analysis for 12 months from the initial status assignment. Statuses will change to T1V and T3V automatically after 12 months unless resolved by residue management plan.}

^{^ R status properties may be targeted for testing if the property is not Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) accredited.}

The Livestock Production Assurance program

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) developed the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program to help producers ensure that unacceptable chemical residues and contaminants do not occur in livestock presented for slaughter. An important part of the LPA program is property risk assessment. This helps you ensure that livestock are not exposed to areas on the property that are contaminated with OCs or other persistent chemicals.

Contact the MLA on 1800 683 111 for more information about the LPA program and residue risk assessment of your property.

Residue minimisation plans

If your property is considered at risk or has a resolved status, you will need a residue minimisation plan. This plan will help you manage your cattle to ensure that OC contaminants do not exceed the legally defined limits (Extraneous Residual Limits (ERL)).

The plan is subject to audit to ensure that:

• it meets specified management arrangements to minimise OC residues in cattle
• the processes have been properly put in place and are effective
• it continues to minimise the risk of OC contaminants in animals presented for slaughter.

You can contact Biosecurity Queensland for help on developing a plan for your property.

Remember that soil levels are a guide only and fat biopsies should be performed to determine the actual OC levels in cattle from your property.

If OC contaminants are detected in your soil samples, this will not affect your property's OC status under the NORM program. It will help you to identify hazard sites under your LPA risk assessment and to develop a residue plan to manage the suspect site.

Minimising the risk of residues and OC contaminants in cattle

You can reduce the risk of OC residues in your cattle by:

• removing stubble from crops grown on land that was previously treated with OCs or by-products that have been in contact with OC-contaminated soil
• keeping them away from orchards or other areas that have ever been treated with OCs
• feeding them pastures or fodder crops that have not been grown on land that has previously been treated with OCs
• using storage facilities that have not been treated with OCs, and avoiding those with concrete or earthen bases that may still be contaminated
• removing fence posts or other structures where OCs may have been used to control termites
• fencing off old chemical disposal sites.

Failure to manage the risks from such chemicals and contaminants may constitute a failure to meet your general biosecurity obligation (GBO) under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Your GBO obliges you to minimise biosecurity risks that concern human health, the environment, and the economy.

Contaminant Standards

The Biosecurity Regulation 2016 adopts the contaminant standards for heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine chemicals from schedule 19 and schedule 21 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as the acceptable levels for contaminants in plant and animal food commodities.

Also consider...

• Find out more about the NORM program.

The National Organochlorine Residue Management (NORM) program began in 1995 to manage the risk of persistent chemicals being detected in beef products. The presence of organochlorine (OC) contaminants in animal tissues can lead to trade restrictions in international markets.

The program operates under an agreement between the Australian Government; the agriculture or primary industry departments in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia; and other organisations such as the Australian Meat Industry Council, AUSMEAT Limited, the Cattle Council of Australia and the Australian Lot Feeders Association.

The objectives of the program are to:

• minimise the risk of cattle with OC residues above the Australian Maximum Residue Level from being slaughtered for human consumption
• support effective property management plans for all identified OC-affected properties
• facilitate property risk assessment for producers seeking quality assurance accreditation (e.g. under the Livestock Production Assurance program) and assist with the development of auditable property management plans as required
• ensure all samples for OC residues in beef for domestic and export markets are compliant with the National Residue Survey random monitoring program.

The program emphasises on-farm quality assurance and relies less on abattoir testing.