Water Quality A Major Public Health Issue - AMA
The Federal AMA's Public Health Committee has recommended that water quality should be treated as a major national public health issue following examination of a Tasmanian report into the effects of aerial spraying in water catchment areas.
AMA Federal Councillor and President of AMA Tasmania, Dr Michael Aizen, briefed the Committee at its weekend meeting on the report's observations regarding the water supply in the St Helen's region of Tasmania.
Dr Aizen said today the St Helen's report, which had been prepared by a water scientist and a local GP using locally collected health data, was submitted to the Tasmanian AMA for consideration.
"Both the AMA in Tasmania and the Federal AMA's Public Health Committee agree that there were a number of serious methodological flaws in the report. The document fails to demonstrate increased evidence of adverse health effects, including cancer rates, in the St Helen's region of Tasmania," Dr Aizen said.
"The report has, however, sparked wider interest in the issue of water quality and human health, and this is a good thing.
"The Tasmanian AMA, for example, is now taking a more active role in the Tasmanian drinking water guideline review.
"We know that substances used in agriculture and for domestic and industrial purposes are potentially toxic to the environment through contamination of water supplies, by leaving residues in the animal and human food chains, and through pollution of the atmosphere.
"In each case, there is a potential for human health to be adversely affected.
"The AMA will raise with governments at the Federal and State levels the need for quality control of air, water and food supplies to ensure the maintenance of a healthy ecology for the sustenance of human life.
"When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken.
"A good start would be to minimise the contamination of drinking water with any chemical or pollutants and limit agricultural and industrial activities in water catchment areas. Where these activities are permitted for any reason, then environmental and human health impacts should be independently monitored," Dr Aizen said.
Dr Aizen said he wants to see the water quality initiatives of the Tasmanian AMA taken up by the AMA on a national basis.
28 February 2005
Contact: Judith Tokley, 0408 824 306