标题: HOBART的自来水里面有致癌物质 [打印本页] 作者: Mao 时间: 2009-4-30 18:18 标题: HOBART的自来水里面有致癌物质 More water contaminations
SUE NEALES
April 30, 2009 03:07pm
ALL Hobart residents have drunk water contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals at least three times in the past seven months.
The State Government confirmed this morning that the herbicide hexazinone was found in Hobart's water supply in March this year.
The Government admitted earlier this week that minute amounts of the chemical atrazine in were detected in September last year.
The admission came after three days of questioning from the Greens.
"The message I am trying to get through to the residents of Hobart is that we have all been drinking water contaminated by atrazine twice last year and hexazinone in March and April this year," Mr Morris said.
"These tests the Government do on water come back three weeks after the event – by that time it's too late, you have already all been drinking the contaminated water."
Water Minister David Llewellyn detailed the three chemcial incidents in parliament this morning.
But he said the levels of the chemical poisons detected in Hobart's drinking supply had been minute.
"The level of detection is at the extreme end of analysis," Mr Llewellyn said.
"Just a tiny blip."
Greens water spokesman Tim Morris reminded Mr Llewellyn that Australian drinking water guidelines specified that no levels of atrazine or the triazine group of chemicals should be present in drinking water.
"You don't need much to poison people," the Greens Kim Booth added.
The Greens have called for the triazine group of chemicals – which include the atrazine, simazine and hexazinone herbicides – to be immediately banned.
The chemicals are already banned in Europe, while the United States is considering a ban after new scientific research showed they can adversely affect human health at far smaller concentrations than previously thought safe.
Mr Llewellyn said the Government was considering reviewing its chemical policies for atrazine, simazine and hexazinone.
But Mr Morris doubts the Government's sincerity.
"This Government went to the 1996 election promising to ban triazines in Tasmania's drinking water catchment," Mr Morris pointed out.
"Thirteen years later the evidence is in that water in Hobart is being contaminated on a regular basis. This ban is needed now."
