APVMA to defend simazine
October 20th, 2010
Following a media campaign by Friends of the Earth, the APVMA is set to review simazine. The review is set to start in six months, with the first step being to search for relevant literature on the topic.
APVMA spokesperson Simon Cubit says that simazine has been flagged before, and while there have been human health concerns and environmental concerns, they have largely related to the chemical residue entering the water system. This is to do with the agricultural use of the chemical.
Cubit says that that they have seen no evidence that simazine in swimming pools poses a threat to children, and none of the research they have seen supports the suggestion that simazine in its current use is dangerous to swimmers. He also says that the APVMA tends to take the view that if a product has passed their stringent processes for registration, they will defend it. However, they must always ensure there is no danger to public health, and the review will ensure that.
The APVMA will post information about the review here, closer to its commencement date.
APVMA spokesperson Simon Cubit says that simazine has been flagged before, and while there have been human health concerns and environmental concerns, they have largely related to the chemical residue entering the water system. This is to do with the agricultural use of the chemical.
Cubit says that that they have seen no evidence that simazine in swimming pools poses a threat to children, and none of the research they have seen supports the suggestion that simazine in its current use is dangerous to swimmers. He also says that the APVMA tends to take the view that if a product has passed their stringent processes for registration, they will defend it. However, they must always ensure there is no danger to public health, and the review will ensure that.
The APVMA will post information about the review here, closer to its commencement date.
Meanwhile, Robert Anderson of simazine-based algaecide manufacturer Pool Poppits has come out firing against the assertions made by Friends of the Earth’s Anthony Amis.
Amis was quoted in a May 2009 Australian article as saying a child of six years of age weighing 20kg would only need 45 minutes of swimming to breach the acceptable daily intake (ADI). It was this article that sparked further media attention. According to Anderson, amongst other miscalculations, Amis has miscalculated one-thousandfold with regard to the ADI.
“Mr Amis’ calculations are seriously flawed and have been incorrectly reported to the detriment of the pool and spa industry,” says Anderson. The report states that the ADI for simazine is .005 micrograms per kilogram (.005 parts per billion). The correct ADI for simazine is .005 milligrams per kilogram (5 parts per billion)!
“Statistics from the World Health Organization show that the average ingestion of pool water by male swimmers is around 22ml. A swimmer could swallow over 40 times the average water ingestion per swim each and every time they enter the water and still be within simazine’s quoted ADI. If a swimmer does not swim every day, the ingestion rate required to exceed the ADI for simazine moves from improbable to impossible!”
Amis was quoted in a May 2009 Australian article as saying a child of six years of age weighing 20kg would only need 45 minutes of swimming to breach the acceptable daily intake (ADI). It was this article that sparked further media attention. According to Anderson, amongst other miscalculations, Amis has miscalculated one-thousandfold with regard to the ADI.
“Mr Amis’ calculations are seriously flawed and have been incorrectly reported to the detriment of the pool and spa industry,” says Anderson. The report states that the ADI for simazine is .005 micrograms per kilogram (.005 parts per billion). The correct ADI for simazine is .005 milligrams per kilogram (5 parts per billion)!
“Statistics from the World Health Organization show that the average ingestion of pool water by male swimmers is around 22ml. A swimmer could swallow over 40 times the average water ingestion per swim each and every time they enter the water and still be within simazine’s quoted ADI. If a swimmer does not swim every day, the ingestion rate required to exceed the ADI for simazine moves from improbable to impossible!”
By The Splash Team
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