“…And there are the disused cattle dip sites of northern NSW and Queensland, some of which contain a massive residue legacy.

Activist of researcher Mariann Grinter takes a keen interest in this contamination and its impacts on families living on or near such sites. Her research shows that there are approximately 1600 cattle dip sites on the NSW north coast, 1100 of them on private property. In 1991, sampling indicated DDT contamination as high as 27,000 ppm and arsenic up to 1200 mg/kg on some sites. Later data showed DDT contamination of up to 106,000 ppm (over 10 per cent DDT), arsenic up to 3,000 ppm and the OP insecticide ethion at 45,000 ppm. Most dip sites are situated on flood plains or adjacent to creeks and in some instances, houses and schools have been built on them.

p65/66 Quick Poison Slow Poison Pesticide Risk in the Lucky Country. Kate Short 1994.