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National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants

Dicamba

Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Dicamba is an herbicide applied in agriculture, rangeland, pasture and industry; it is used for corn, wheat and other crops. [read more]

Dicamba Dicamba is an herbicide applied to grain crops, pastures and grasslands. Dicamba readily leaches into groundwater and has been reported as a groundwater contaminant (NJ Department of Health and Senior Services 2000b; Ritter 1996). Dicamba is an eye and skin irritant in humans. This chemical may also cause loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, depression, general tenseness and muscular weakness (Weed Science Society of America 1983). In animals, signs of acute poisoning include myotonic muscular spasms, urinary incontinence, and dyspnea, cyanosis, and exhaustion following repeated spasms (Hayes 1982). According to latest market estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dicamba is one of 10 most commonly used conventional pesticides in the home and garden market sector. Dicamba contamination of drinking water is primarily due to agricultural runoff and emissions from agricultural chemical-producing factories (USEPA 2009e, 2009i).

	Detected	Found above health guidelines	Found above legal limit
States	11	-	-
Water utilities	34	-	-
People Served	892,935	-	-

Health Concerns for Dicamba:

• Endocrine disruption
• Cancer
• Occupational hazards
• Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
• Ecotoxicology
• Multiple, additive exposure sources

Dicamba Exposure by State

Water utilities in 11 states have reported detecting Dicamba in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.

State	Water Suppliers with Dicamba contamination
	Systems	Population
Nebraska	5	271,422
New Jersey	1	217,230
Delaware	1	201,000
Illinois	5	84,156
Maryland	11	70,407
California	2	17,110
Wisconsin	3	15,025
Massachusetts	3	11,150
North Carolina	1	2,500
Maine	1	2,135
New York	1	800
Total	34	892,935

The Most Polluted Communities

34 water utilities reported detecting Dicamba in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies

Ranked by highest average Dicamba level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	City of North Bend North Bend, NE	1,297	1 of 2	4.75 ppb (0 to 9.5 ppb)
2	Mci Shirley Prerelease Center Shirley, MA	3,500	2 of 5	3.86 ppb (0 to 18.5 ppb)
3	Cedar-Knox Rwd Hartington, NE	2,200	1 of 2	2.35 ppb (0 to 4.7 ppb)
4	Country Acres Mhp (La Salle County) Des Plaines, IL	295	1 of 2	1.65 ppb (0 to 3.3 ppb)
5	Shirley Water District Shirley, MA	3,850	1 of 2	1.11 ppb (0 to 2.23 ppb)
6	Rutland Water Department Rutland, MA	3,800	1 of 4	0.78 ppb (0 to 3.1 ppb)
7	Decatur Decatur, IL	81,860	1 of 1	0.71 ppb (0.71 ppb)
8	City of Lincoln Lincoln, NE	203,000	1 of 5	0.6 ppb (0 to 3 ppb)
9	City of Grand Island Grand Island, NE	40,036	1 of 6	0.27 ppb (0 to 1.6 ppb)
10	Town of White Lake White Lake, NC	2,500	1 of 5	0.26 ppb (0 to 1.3 ppb)

Health Based Limits for Dicamba

Standard	Description	Level
Health-Based Screening Level	A benchmark concentration of contaminants in water that may be of potential concern for human health, if exceeded. For noncarcinogens, the HBSL represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse effects over a lifetime of exposure. For carcinogens, the HBSL range represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that corresponds to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 chance in 1 million to 1 chance in 10 thousand. Source: U.S. Geological Survey.	3000 ppb
Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for a lifetime of exposure. The Lifetime health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is based on exposure for a a 70-kg adult consuming 2 liters of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	4000 ppb
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from drinking water. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	18000 ppb

Testing Summary for Dicamba

Are tests routinely required for Dicamba by federal law?	No
Water suppliers reporting tests for Dicamba (2004-2009):	12,692 of 47,576
Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009):	0.4 per year

Endocrine disruption

Type of concern:	Reference:
Possible human disruptor	FDA Food Additive Status

Cancer

Type of concern:	Reference:
Cancer - moderate evidence - immune system	CHE Toxicant and Disease Database
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 1990
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Tsitologiya i Genetika 1982
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007
One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 3226

Occupational hazards

Type of concern:	Reference:
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses	European Union - Classification & Labelling

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Type of concern:	Reference:
Limited evidence of eye toxicity	European Union - Classification & Labelling
Classified as toxic or harmful	European Union - Classification & Labelling
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient)	EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs

Developmental/reproductive toxicity

Type of concern:	Reference:
Limited evidence of developmental toxicity	US EPA, 1788
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity	Frazier , L, 1998

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Type of concern:	Reference:
Classified as irritant	European Union - Classification & Labelling

Ecotoxicology

Type of concern:	Reference:
Wildlife and environmental toxicity	European Union - Classification & Labelling

Multiple, additive exposure sources

Type of concern:	Reference:
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food	FDA Food Additive Status

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications

government/industry list/academic study	appears on list as	classification(s)
European Union - Classification & Labelling	DICAMBA	•Harmful •Harmful if swallowed •Irritant (eyes, skin, or lungs) •Risk of serious damage to eyes •Harmful to aquatic organisms
FDA Food Additive Status	DICAMBA	• Food additive: herbicide • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Tolerances for Residues - 40 Code of Federal Regulations 180.227
EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs	3,6-DICHLORO-2-METHYOXYBENZOIC ACID	•Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs
US EPA, 1788	DICAMBA	•Developmental toxicity hazards: suspected
Frazier , L, 1998	DICAMBA	•Reproductive toxicity hazards: suspected
RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 1990	DICAMBA	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage (rat ipr) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Unscheduled DNA Synthesis (rat lym)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007	DICAMBA	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage (hamster ovr) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange (hamster ovr)
RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 3226	DICAMBA	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA repair (Escherichia coli )
RTECS®- Tsitologiya i Genetika 1982	DICAMBA	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (mouse unr)

references

government/industry list/academic study	reference
European Union - Classification & Labelling	CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
FDA Food Additive Status	FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs	EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
Scorecard.org Toxicity Information	US EPA. Addition of Certain Chemicals; Toxic Chemical Release Reporting; Community Right to Know. Proposed and Final Rules. 59 Federal Register 1788 (Jan 12, 1994); 59 Federal Register 61432 (November 30, 1994). Summarized in Hazard Information on Toxic Chemicals Added to EPCRA Section 313 Under Chemical Expansion. http://www.epa.gov/tri/chemical/hazard_cx.htm
Scorecard.org Toxicity Information	Frazier , L. and M. L. Hage (eds.). Reproductive Hazards of the Workplace, Wiley Europe, 1998. Table 10 (Partial List of Reproductive Toxicants) available at http://www.pharmacy.ohio-state.edu/homepage/safety/chemhygiene_table_repro.pdf.
RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 1990	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. (Alan R. Liss, Inc., 41 E. 11th St., New York, NY 10003) V.10- 15,131,1990
RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007	RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 634,60,2007
RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 3226	RTECS®- National Technical Information Service. (Springfield, VA 22161) Formerly U.S. Clearinghouse for Scientific & Technical Information. PB80-133226
RTECS®- Tsitologiya i Genetika 1982	RTECS®- Tsitologiya i Genetika. Cytology and Genetics. For English translation, see CYGEDX. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1- 16(1),45,1982

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