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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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IPW guidelines for handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals (Part 1): Legislation and storage of agrochemicals
Elleunorah Allsopp & Keith du Plessis, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij
The handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals and their empty containers are regulated by South African legislation. The Scheme for Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) requires producers to comply with national legislation in this regard. This article, the second in a series of three about the above-mentioned legislation, takes a closer look at the regulations pertinent to filling points for spray equipment and the disposal of empty containers.
FILLING POINTS FOR SPRAY EQUIPMENT
The concentration of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides in water used to rinse and wash measuring cups and spray equipment is usually so low that it is no longer considered lethal to people and mammals. This does not imply that these low concentrations of agrochemicals will not have harmful effects on the environment. Extremely low concentrations of certain products in water sources have been shown to disrupt reproduction of aquatic organisms, since these compounds have a chemical structure similar to that of reproductive hormones in certain organisms. Some of these compounds also act as endocrine disruptors in humans when they are exposed to low concentrations of such products in water. All waste water contaminated with agrochemicals should therefore be handled with extreme care.
SANS 10206 stipulates that the place where spray equipment is filled and washed should have an impermeable cement slab, surrounded by a small retaining wall, to ensure that soil and water resources are not contaminated. It stipulates furthermore that contaminated waste water must be collected in a tank and removed to a registered hazardous waste disposal site. For most farmers, especially those in remote regions, this is not a practical option.
Numerous producers have been advised to build so-called stone drains or sumps to get rid of waste water. This practice is not mentioned as an alternative in SANS 10206. Upon enquiry the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) replied that this is not acceptable, because there is no guarantee that products will have broken down sufficiently before draining into the ground water or other water sources such as rivers and wetlands.
With input from local representatives of Croplife/AVCASA and ACDASA, an alternative was proposed to DWAF by IPW, which they approved in writing. This entails that producers build a shallow evaporation pit in which contaminated waste water is collected. This cement pit has to be sealed with waterproofing and covered with a metal grid so that birds and animals do not have access to the contaminated water. A little lime should also be added to the waste water, each time spraying takes place. High pH (alkaline) and UV light from the sun accelerates the breakdown of hazardous active ingredients, while sun and wind facilitate evaporation of the water. When it rains the evaporation pit must be closed so that it does not fill up with rain water. Any sediment that builds up in the pit over time may be collected periodically and dispatched to a registered disposal site for hazardous substances. The volume of the evaporation pit will depend on how much spraying takes place on a farm and how much waste water is generated. It is also recommended that an ordinary garden hose with a high pressure nozzle (the kind being used in home gardens) be supplied at the filling point. Spray equipment can then be cleaned using less water (finer spray with high pressure), which results in water savings. If there is more than one filling point on a farm, an evaporation pit should be built at each filling point.
DISPOSAL OF EMPTY CONTAINERS
Incineration of empty plastic or other combustible agrochemical containers is illegal in South Africa. According to SANS 10206 containers should be triple rinsed and the rinse water poured into the spray tank. A hole or holes should be made at the bottom of empty containers or the containers should be cut up or flattened so that they cannot be used for other purposes. The containers must then be sent to a registered hazardous waste disposal site. Remember, in terms of the law the producer is liable if somebody who is not trained to understand the risks associated with agrochemicals should use a contaminated, empty container and be poisoned by the residue in the container. Plastic containers (rinsed and with holes at the bottom or cut up) may otherwise be sent for recycling of plastic to a recycler who is registered to recycle plastic agrochemical containers. The IPW website (www.ipw.co.za) contains contact details of companies that collect plastic containers on farms for recycling. Empty containers (with holes) that will be collected for recycling, must be stored in such a way that they do not pollute the environment (lock them up somewhere under cover).
According to SANS 10206 other empty containers, such as metal drums, which cannot be recycled, must also be sent to a registered hazardous waste disposal site or be returned to the suppliers of agrochemicals, especially in remote areas where companies that handle hazardous waste do not offer a service.
Unused agrochemicals that are past their “use by” date may not be dumped in the environment and may not be taken to an ordinary municipal waste disposal site either. These products must also be sent to a registered hazardous waste disposal site or returned to the suppliers.
It is and remains the responsibility of the buyer (producer) to dispose of all expired products and empty containers in accordance with the law.
Particulars about the regulations for filling points and the disposal of agrochemicals and empty containers may be found in the Guidelines for handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals in the South African wine industry which is available on the Winetech website (www.winetech.co.za).
For further enquiries, contact Elleunorah Allsopp at tel (021) 809-3007, fax (021) 809-3584, or email allsoppe@arc.agric.za
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