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Care urged after chemicals found

Posted November 28, 2008 10:31:00

Farmers and forest workers are being urged to be careful after chemicals were detected in 14 Tasmanian rivers.

Testing of 55 rivers and streams found the herbicide MCPA in the Duck River in the north-west, the Brid and Macquarie Rivers in the north-east and high levels in the Rubicon River.

The herbicide Atrazine was also detected in the Derwent, upstream from Hobart's water supply catchment, although later tests did not detect the chemical.

Christian Goninon from the Department of Primary Industries and Water says the chemicals were at lower levels than the national drinking water guidelines but it is a reminder for people to be careful.

East Coast Doctor Allison Bleaney says the government should legislate to stop any chemicals appearing in drinking water catchments.

"The fact that none of these catchments are protected, the fact that none of these water filtration systems have any measures to prevent chemicals going into the actual drinking water so that the raw water is unprotected and there's nothing in the filtering system, must be of huge concern," she said.

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