Unannounced Pesticide Residue Inspections to Be Conducted at Golf Courses in Jeonnam Province

Conducted Twice at 44 Locations Until September

Golf course sample collection site. Provided by Jeonnam Province

The Jeonnam Institute of Health and Environment announced on May 14, 2025, that it will conduct pesticide residue inspections at golf courses and their surrounding ecosystems to prevent environmental damage and ensure the safety of visitors’ leisure activities.

Pesticide residue inspections at golf courses are carried out in accordance with the Water Environment Conservation Act and the Ministry of Environment’s notification, "Regulations on the Investigation of Pesticide Usage and Methods for Pesticide Residue Inspection at Golf Courses." The inspections are conducted twice a year, once each during the dry season (April to June) and the rainy season (July to September), with each inspection performed unannounced.

There are 44 golf courses across 16 cities and counties in Jeonnam Province. From April to September, a total of 832 samples, including soil and water quality samples, are scheduled to be tested at all golf courses.

Samples are collected from soil (greens and fairways) and water (outlets and ponds) within the golf courses. For each golf course, representative locations with a higher likelihood of contamination are selected based on the course’s size.

The inspection covers 25 types of pesticides, including tefluthiamide and tebuconazole, and analyzes their residue levels.

Last year, trace amounts of 11 permitted pesticide components were detected in 644 out of 826 golf course samples. Despite an increase in both the number of golf courses inspected and the number of samples tested compared to 2023, the detection rate slightly decreased from 79.6% to 78%.

Lee Jeongil, Head of the Environmental Investigation Division at the Jeonnam Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "Based on last year’s inspection results, we will continue to closely monitor pesticide usage at golf courses this year and rigorously inspect compliance with safe pesticide usage standards to prevent environmental damage in surrounding areas."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.