ARSENIC IN SOILS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19732, 10 September 1938, Page 10

ARSENIC IN SOILS

REPOKOA INVESTIGATION REPORT ON PROGRESS VISIT TO DISTRICT Officers of the Department of Lands and Survey and Agriculture are continuing in active co-operation the investigation into suspected arsenic poisoning in the Reporoa district. The district superintendent from Auckland, Mr. W. T. Collins, and the veterinarian from Hamilton, Mr. J. Mullins, in company with the chief chemist of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. R. E. R. Grimmett, are visiting the district and carrying out a further inspection of affected properties and of certain experiments which are being conducted cinder the immediate control of the local stock supervisor, Mr. M. R. Mackenzie.

In an interview Mr. Grimmett commented briefly on the progress so far made. The investigation of the distribution ol' arsenic in soils and waters had been completed and the settlers informed individually as to the position on their own farms. Sick Animals Watched As a direct result of the policy of the departments in temporarily stationing an officer in the district for the purpose of investigating any case of mortality that occurred, it had been found that over a period of some .hrea months during the past winter there had been no excessive mortality among stock running on the •ortions of the swamp where arsenical muds and waters occur. In all cases reputed, sick aninyal® had been watched closely, and, where possible, samples of the urine obtained for analysis, as it had been found that this was the best method of obtaining an index to the animals' intake and assimilation of arsenic. In addition, wherever animals died or were killed, specimens of the organs had been forwarded for analysis Out of rather less than a dozen cases of animals dying from all causes, only two contained sufficient arsenic to support a definite suspicion that, this might be connected with the'cause of death. Stock Losses It, therefore, appeared, either that the stock losses had been much magnified or wrongly attributed to arsenic poisoning rather than to a multiplicity of factors, of which shortage of feed and cover during the hard winter conditions was probably one of the chief causes, <jr that the present winter was exceptional in the low mortality experienced. It was intended, however, to continue investigations and experiments during the next month or two. as it was possible that this might be a more critical period.

Net until the investigation could do considered to have ■ reached a reasonably decisive stage, would it be advisable to issue any detailed report, but meanwhile individual settlers would be freely informed of any findings relating to their own properties, so that remedial measures, if ‘ necessary, could be adopted.