THE National Fire Ant Eradication Program (NFAEP) uses per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals and use wordsmithing to deny this is the case.
Does Australia have a PFAS definition?
The NFAEP quotes the United States of America, Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) definition of PFAS to hide from the public and Queensland communities about its use of PFAS chemicals to fight fire ants (and other ant eradication programs), often citing the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for support.
The US EPA definition is considered more limited than the broader definition by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which is considered the most inclusive and widely used.
The OECD definition includes any chemical with at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom, while the EPA definition is more limited.
The goal of the OECD’s definition is to be clear and consistent across compounds, and to be easily understood by experts and nonexperts.
Chemicals using Fipronil and Indoxacarb are classed as PFAS, “forever chemicals”, and are harmful to the environment and human health.
What are PFAS?
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that are used in industrial and consumer products.
They are known as “forever chemicals” because they can persist in the environment for a long time.
The NFAEP needs to be more transparent and accountable for its emergency declaration on fire ants, which is used to justify the spreading of toxic chemicals and the denial of fundamental human and property rights.
— Trevor Hold, Adare.
