Safeguarding Australian exports logs - methyl bromideFriday 24 Jan 2025
Work Safe Australia recently reviewed the use of fumigants including MB and changed its time-weighted average (TWA) value from 5 to 1 ppm. Practically, the TWA value guides the safety standards and operational procedures imposed by government for MB fumigations. Therefore, the APVMA will need to review the buffer zone distances and recapture requirements associated with MB use before the new TWA values come into place on December 1, 2026. Increased buffer zones for MB use could have massive implications for Australian log export, as seen in New Zealand where they increased up to 700 m. Therefore, industry urgently needs strategic directions to address the risk of MB withdrawal and restrictions on its use, especially new research on alternative treatments. In response, Forest and Wood Products Australia funded work led by VSICA Research to address these issues and provide strategic direction for industry. The project aims to:
The review identified the advantages and disadvantages of different treatments including their relative cost, with the fumigants methyl iodide, ethanedinitrile, sulfuryl fluoride, and phosphine emerging as short-term prospects, and joule and microwave heating as longer-term solutions. Preliminary field experiments conducted in Portland, Victoria showed that methyl iodide killed natural and surrogate pest populations in log stacks very effectively. Though more research is required, early data also showed that methyl iodide can kill wood wasp larvae (Sirex noctilio) in logs, which is an important quarantine pest for Australia’s trading partners (Fig 1). ![]() If you are interested in learning more about the research project or have any questions relating to the topics discussed, please email Dr. Dylan McFarlane at dylan.science@outlook.com. Source: Dr. Dylan McFarlane (VSICA Research, VIC) | ||
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