ViewpointAustralia's pesticide environmental risk assessment failure: The case of diuron and sugarcane

- I examine the conclusion of Australia's 12 year diuron risk assessment process.
- The risk assessment model was found to be used outside its validated bounds.
- Other deficiencies in the process are also highlighted.
- The APVMA finding that diuron use in sugarcane is environmentally safe is unfounded.

In November 2012, the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) concluded a 12 year review of the PSII herbicide diuron. One of the primary concerns raised during the review was the potential impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the catchments draining to the Great Barrier Reef. The environmental risk assessment process used by the APVMA utilised a runoff risk model developed and validated under European farming conditions. However, the farming conditions in the sugarcane regions of the Great Barrier Reef catchments have environmental parameters beyond the currently validated bounds of the model. The use of the model to assess environmental risk in these regions is therefore highly inappropriate, demonstrating the pitfalls of a one size fits all approach.