National Cadmium Management Committee Finishes
The National Cadmium Management Committee (NCMC) ceased to operate as of December 2006 having achieved essentially all of its initial aims and having achieved others that arose during its five year term. Despite the Committee no longer operating this web-site will be maintained with periodic updates until July 2011. Read the NCMC Workshop outcomes.
Contaminants in Fertiliser Project
The Fertilizer Working Group (FWG), which reports to the Primary Industries Standing Committee (PISC), in collaboration with the Industrial Residues Working Group (IRWG) which reports to Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPH&C) have established a project to examine the issue of Contaminants in Fertilizers. This project aims to develop:
- A list of chemicals which should not be present in fertilizers
- A list of chemicals which can be present in fertilizers providing they are below acceptable concentrations
- The acceptable concentrations of chemicals permitted in fertilizers.
This project is being undertaken in three separate stages. The first stage – a scoping study – has been undertaken by the Centre for Environmental Contaminant Research in CSIRO. A copy of this Scoping Study is available for download (PDF, 733 kB).
Stage II – Is a preliminary hazard screening and assessment of environmental and agricultural impacts and benefits of applying the identified potential contaminants and sources of contaminants to agricultural land.
Stage III – This will be a more detailed assessment using a combination of existing criteria and, where necessary, risk assessment from first principles to determine recommended maximum concentrations and/or loadings of substances identified as presenting a high potential risk.
Tenders for Stage II will close 31 January, 2007.
Laboratories Proficient in the Analysis of Cd in Plant Samples
During 2004 ASPAC decided to change the structure of the ILPPP. In the new program laboratories can be declared proficient in analyzing cadmium in both soil and plant samples. The soil and plant programs each consist of three sets of samples to be analysed annually with four samples per set. The results of the ILPP will shortly be made available by ASPAC. As soon as this is done a hyperlink from the NCMC website to the appropriate section of the ASPAC website will be made.
What should you do in the meantime?
You should use the list of proficient laboratories set out below to make your selection and ask them laboratory whether they have currently deemed to be proficient in the analysis of Cd in plant tissue by ASPAC. If they are not then there results may not be reliable.
Listing
and Contact Details For ASPAC Certified
Plant Cadmium Proficient Laboratories,
2002
The National Cadmium Management Committee (NCMC) is often asked
to recommend a laboratory that can proficiently determine cadmium
(Cd) concentrations in plants. In response, the NCMC wrote to
the 31 laboratories that participated in the annual Inter-laboratory
Plant Proficiency Program conducted in 2002 by the Australasian
Soil and Plant Analysis Council Inc (ASPAC; Johnstone et al 2002).
This program assessed laboratory performance for a range of tests,
including plant Cd. The laboratories were asked that, if they
had elected to include Cd in their test suite, and if they had
gained proficiency for that test, would they agree to their contact
details being placed on the NCMC website.
The listing of Cd proficient laboratories (2002) is provided
in the table below. These laboratories were assessed by ASPAC
to be proficient in the measurement of total cadmium in a selection
of oven-dry plant materials. The proficiency certification remains
until superseded by ASPAC’s next Inter-laboratory Plant
Proficiency Program.
The NCMC acknowledges that not all laboratories that may be competent
in the analysis of total Cd in plant material participated in
the ASPAC Inter-laboratory Proficiency Programs. Potential clients
and users of laboratories may wish to also check if the laboratory
is NATA accredited for total Cd analysis in plant samples.
Finally, ASPAC now has on its public web site (www.aspac-australasia.com)
an informative article entitled “How Can I Be Sure That
The Lab Is Giving Me The Right Results?” While not targeted
specifically at Cd analysis, the advice presented in this article
warrants serious consideration.
Reference
Johnstone P., Shelley B., Kitching M. (2002). Plant Proficiency
Program Report 2002. (Australian Soil and Plant Analysis Council:
State Chemistry Laboratory, , Agriculture Victoria, Department
of Natural Resources and Ebvironment,Werribee, Victoria.) ISSN1446
- 3598 Vol12 No.1
List of cadmium proficient
laboratories in 2002
Laboratory contact |
Laboratory |
Lyndon Palmer
lyndon.palmer@adelaide.edu.au
ph.no. 08 8303 7391
or
Teresa Fowles
teresa.fowles@adelaide.edu.au
ph. no. 08 8303 7391
|
Waite Analytical Services, School
of Agriculture and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB 1,
GLEN OSMOND SA 5064 |
Michael Smirk
msmirk@agric.uwa.edu.au
ph. no. 08 6488 7133
|
University of Western Australia,
School of Earth and Geographical Sciences (Soil Science
Discipline), 35 Stirling Highway, CRAWLEY WA 6009 |
Giang Nugyen
Giang.Nguyen@sydneywater.com.au
ph. no. 02 9334 0935
|
Sydney Water Nutrient Laboratory,
Analytical and Field Services, Asset Management Division,
51 Hermitage Road, WEST RYDE NSW 2114 |
Graham Lancaster
glancast@scu.edu.au
ph. no. 02 6620 3678
|
Norsearch – Environmental Analysis Laboratory, Military
Road, EAST LISMORE NSW 2480 |
Craig Hunt
craig.hunt@agric.nsw.gov.au
ph. no. 02 66261200
|
Environmental Laboratory, Wollongbar
Agricultural Institute, NSW Agriculture, 1243 Bruxner Highway,
WOLLONGBAR NSW 2477 |
Dave Lyons
Dave.Lyons@nrm.qld.gov.au
ph. no. 07 3896 9477
|
Queensland Dept. Natural Resources and Mines, Natural Resource
Sciences Laboratory, Block B 80 Meiers Road, INDOOROOPILLY QLD
4068 |
Ted Mikhail
tmswep@connexus.net.au
ph.no. 03 9701 6007
|
SWEP Pty Ltd. Analytical Laboratories,
45-47/ 174 Bridge Road, KEYSBOROUGH VIC 3173 |
George Croatto
george.croatto@nre.vic.gov.au
ph. no. 03 9742 8749.
|
Department of Primary Industries State Chemistry Laboratory,
Inorganic Chemistry Unit, 621 Sneydes Road, WERRIBEE VIC 3030 |
Glen Rangott
symbio@powerup.com.au
ph. no. 07 3391 7558
|
Symbio Laboratories
47 Manilla Street, EAST BRISBANE, QLD 4169 or
PO Box 7561, EAST BRISBANE, QLD 4169
|
Peter McCafferty
pmccafferty@ccwa.wa.gov.au
ph. no. 08 9222 3047
|
State Chemistry Centre (WA)
125 Hay Street, EAST PERTH WA 6004 |