The EPA’s testing process detected only the presence of potentially harmful agricultural chemicals in the air, not their quantity. It is therefore impossible to estimate the effects on human health at this stage.

“The presence of pesticides in the natural environment does not necessarily mean that there is a risk to the environment or human health,” an EPA spokesperson said.

But the discovery of DNOC baffled authorities because its use was never authorized.

“DNOC was not consistently found in all samples collected and there is no evidence to suggest it was used for spraying,” the spokesperson said. “Any detection of illegal chemicals is concerning, but it can be difficult to identify the source.

“In the case of the DNOC findings, we spoke to landowners in the area surrounding the monitoring equipment and found no evidence of its use or storage on those properties.”

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), the national agency responsible for approving agricultural chemicals, said DNOC had been banned in Europe due to potential health risks and that it would not be approved here.

“There are no APVMA records of registrations or approvals for DNOC as a pesticide in Australia,” a spokesperson said. “Due to its toxicological effects, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deregistered DNOC as a pesticide in 1991.”

There is no public record of which agricultural chemicals are used in certain areas of Australia. In terms of volume, around 63,000 tonnes of pesticides are used in the country each year, according to United Nations data, more than triple the amount used in 1990.

“It is concerning that residues of banned pesticides are being detected, such as DNOC, known to damage the liver, kidneys and nervous system in humans following acute exposure,” said lead researcher Dr Nicholas Chartres. at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney.

“More concerning are the multiple pesticide residues detected in these individual samples.

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“The potential additive and cumulative effects of more than nine pesticides that were detected in some individual samples – such as the one located a few miles from Trangie Central School – should be communicated to the local community, and the EPA must explain what It will take action to understand the levels of these exposures.

“Knowing that children may be breathing air containing this cocktail of pesticide residues is alarming.”

The EPA said it has issued 48 formal warnings, nine cleanup notices and 36 penalty notices for pesticide misuse since 2022, when the study near Narromine began. Now complete, data from the study will be used to guide a broader statewide pesticide monitoring program.

Maynard said the testing done so far has been inadequate and the community has unanswered questions.

“Clear detections have been made on public roads by the EPA,” he said.

“But in terms of detection levels, it could be extremely high or marginal. We don’t know. Because people are not informed in real time, the community has no way to protect itself from this exposure. »

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