Use of detector dogs in residue-management programs

The detection of organochlorine (OC) residues in beef exported to the United States in 1987 prompted the banning of the use of OCs and a national recall of OC chemicals on farm. Meatworks monitoring has proved successful in detecting cattle with organochlorine residues; however, identifying the actual source of these residues on farm has proved more challenging.

The national NORM program (National Organochlorine Residue Management program) commenced in 1995. The program focus is on active management of OC broad acre and point source contamination at the farm level. To do this requires accurate and efficient identification of OC point sources that provide potential to produce cattle with OC residues above Australian maximum residue limits.

In an effort to improve the efficiency of detecting OC contamination in the on-farm environment, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has taken the initiative to develop and train a residue-detection dog, Norm.

Cost-effective residue detection

Norm is a world first in the area of residue detection and is trained to seek out a range of organochlorines in the soil, specifically dieldrin, aldrin, DDT and its breakdown products, DDD and DDE. His detection level is to 1 ppm for each of the above odours; however, he is capable of detecting at much lower levels.

Norm´s key detection ability lies in the identification of point sources of OC residue. Norm is an active response dog, which means when he detects an imprinted odour, he will dig actively at the site. Norm also displays attitude changes and obvious physical reactions (OPRs) when he detects OC odour, and these indications are useful in mapping out the boundaries of contaminated areas.

Norm has been in training since 1997 and became fully field operational in July 1999.

The on-farm work has led to many learnings about the finer points of OC odour detection by dogs, including consideration of weather conditions, soil temperature and soil type.  Click on the link below to see data on Norm's initial field validation work and field operational results.

Residue-detection dogs such as Norm provide an efficient tool to assist in the identification of sites contaminated with OCs, allowing their effective management as hazards in a risk-management program.

Norm offers advantages in savings in time and people resources, and reduced numbers of soil tests required to accurately pinpoint the contaminated site/s.

Following in Norm´s success is Breeze, a purebred chocolate Labrador female. She completed her accreditation trials in July 2003 and has assumed full operational duties as a detector dog within the DPI&F detector dog team.

• Norm's data

Further information (or to book a search)

The services of the DPI&F detector dogs are available on a fee-for-service basis for anybody seeking an assessment of sites for OC contamination. For further information on this service or to book a search, please contact Greg Horrocks on 0417 044 091 or 07 4688 1201.