Pesticides: Time to check shed for DDT chemicals

Farmers are being urged to check supplies for banned chemicals.

Farmers are being urged to check sheds and chemical stores for DDT or other banned pesticides as The Great DDT Muster does a final sweep of the country.

Funding for this free collection and disposal service for persistent organic pesticides (POPs) is coming to an end but the company responsible for the service, 3R Group Ltd, believes there is still more out there.

3R's ChemCollect manager Jason Richards said its government funding is coming to an end, to send these particular chemicals to France for safe disposal, and they know POPs are still out there.

"If farmers think they might have DDT or anything similar in their sheds, we'd really encourage them to book free collection and disposal with us before the end of October. It might be their last chance."

Mr Richards said people are not willfully holding on to the chemicals. They are either unaware of what they've got, unsure how to safely dispose of them, or unwilling to pay for commercial disposal.

"If left unresolved, the potential for harm is high, particularly as much of the original packaging is now deteriorating."

POPs were used in many insecticide and sheep dip products sold in New Zealand from the 1940s to the 1970s, before being replaced by safer alternatives and finally banned in 2004. DDT was the most common but there are about a dozen including Lindane, Aldrin, Dieldrin and Chlordane, and brands such as Young's Sheep Dip, Cooper's Louse Powder or Cleanso. If in doubt check the website for a more comprehensive list and an image gallery to recognise these banned pesticides.

POPs are known hormone disruptors, able to alter the normal function of endocrine and reproductive systems in humans and wildlife. They are also bio-accumulative, building up in the tissue of living things, and can be passed between species through the food chain or from mother to baby.

They have been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes and exposure during pregnancy has also been linked to developmental defects.

More information on POPs and how to register for free collection is at www.thegreatDDTmuster.co.nz or by calling 0508 CHEMICAL (0508 243 642). Bookings must be made by end of October and collections will take place over the following two months.