Domestic Pesticides and Herbicides
If you are concerned about what pesticides have been used on your garden or hobby farm, ChemCentre can assist you.
ChemCentre has extensive experience in dealing with pesticides for commercial and domestic use and we have made it easy for you to have your domestic soil, water or plant samples analysed by an expert.
Soil Samples Water Samples
Soil analysis requires 100 to 200 grams of soil. This can be collected in a clean jar with a Teflon-lined lid.
Water samples are to be collected in one litre brown glass bottles with Teflon lined lids. Ensure that the bottle is as full as possible.
Around 100 grams of foliage is required for analysis. This can be collected in a glass jar or a plastic zip-lock bag.
Types of pesticides
Pesticides have been in use in domestic gardens and by commercial growers in Australia for decades. While some pesticides have been phased out to make room for new products, the chemical structure of previous pesticides means that some are strong enough to be present in a residue form today (this is known as persistency). Pesticides can be divided into various categories, including:
Organnochloride (OC) Pesticides Organophosphate (OP) Pesticides
Developed in the 1940’s, OC pesticides were phased out in the early 1980’s. These pesticides are very persistent in soil, and residues can still be detected. OC pesticides include DDT, DDD and DDE, which have been banned from use.
Organonitrogen (ON) Herbicides
OP pesticides replaced OC pesticides (above) and were used mostly to control insect populations. They are less persistent than OC pesticides and are more easily broken down in the environment and the metabolism of mammals and insects.
ON herbicides, or triazines, were originally developed in the 1950’s and are still in use today.
Synthetic pyrethroids are commonly used in household insect sprays. They are easily broken down by the human metabolism but have a fast reaction on the nervous systems of insects.
Glyphosate is a weed killer commonly found in many popular brands such as Round Up®, Zero®, Weedmaster Duo®, Contact®, Strike®, No Grow® and Trounce®. It is non-specific, meaning that it will be toxic to any plant with enough foliage. Glyphosate is very difficult, but not impossible, to analyse in the laboratory because it binds strongly to soil particles.
Should you be worried about pesticides in your home environment?
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