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National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants

Glyphosate

Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Glyphosate is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the U.S., and is applied in agriculture, forestry and on lawns and roadsides. [read more]

Glyphosate Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide used in many pesticide formulations, including Roundup and Rodeo. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used pesticides, with 18.7 million pounds applied annually to approximately 13 to 20 million acres during the 1990s (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 2009b, 2009e). It is commonly used to control broadleaf weeds and grasses in areas growing food crops, non-food crops, lawns, turf and roadsides, and in forestry (USEPA 1993a). Short-term exposure to levels of glyphosate above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.7 parts per million (ppm) may cause respiratory problems like lung congestion and increased breathing rate. Longer-term exposures above the MCL can alter blood measurements and damage the pancreas, kidney and testes (USEPA 1993a, 2009b).

	Detected	Found above health guidelines	Found above legal limit
States	6	-	-
Water utilities	12	-	-
People Served	650,793	-	-

Health Concerns for Glyphosate:

• Developmental/reproductive toxicity
• Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
• Cancer
• Neurotoxicity
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
• Ecotoxicology
• Persistence and bioaccumulation

Glyphosate Exposure by State

Water utilities in 6 states have reported detecting Glyphosate in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.

State	Water Suppliers with Glyphosate contamination
	Systems	Population
Kentucky	2	282,714
Florida	5	232,256
California	2	108,903
Indiana	1	26,152
Pennsylvania	1	618
Oregon	1	150
Total	12	650,793

The Most Polluted Communities

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

Ranked by highest average Glyphosate level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Bendersville Water Co Bendersville, PA	618	1 of 4	18.75 ppb (0 to 75 ppb)
2	Inglis Water Dept. Inglis, FL	1,500	1 of 6	15.83 ppb (0 to 95 ppb)
3	Imperial Irrigation District Imperial, CA	3,303	1 of 2	8.25 ppb (0 to 16.5 ppb)
4	Rimrock West Imprvmnt Dist Redmond, OR	150	1 of 4	7.5 ppb (0 to 30 ppb)
5	City of Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA	105,600	1 of 8	4 ppb (0 to 32 ppb)
6	Florida City Florida City, FL	9,445	1 of 3	3.33 ppb (0 to 10 ppb)
7	City of Homestead Homestead, FL	39,000	1 of 3	1.67 ppb (0 to 5 ppb)
8	City of Hallandale Beach Hallandale Beach, FL	40,000	1 of 7	1.43 ppb (0 to 10 ppb)
9	Bargersville Water Department Bargersville, IN	26,152	1 of 7	1.4 ppb (0 to 9.8 ppb)
10	Pcud-West New Port Richey, FL	142,311	1 of 2	1.37 ppb (0 to 2.73 ppb)

Health Based Limits for Glyphosate

Standard	Description	Level
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	700 ppb
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	700 ppb
California Public Health Goals	Defined by the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as the level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. For acutely toxic substances, levels are set at which scientific evidence indicates that no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, plus an adequate margin-of safety. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based solely on health effects without regard to cost impacts and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health.	900 ppb
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	20000 ppb
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	20000 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.	70000 ppb

Testing Summary for Glyphosate

Are tests routinely required for Glyphosate by federal law?	Yes
Water suppliers reporting tests for Glyphosate (2004-2009):	10,181 of 47,576
Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009):	0.4 per year

Violation Summary for Glyphosate

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards for Glyphosate since 2004

Maximum Contaminant Level Exceedance Violations	0
Monitoring Violations	520
Reporting Violations	0

Developmental/reproductive toxicity

Type of concern:	Reference:
Human developmental toxicant - moderate evidence	CHE Toxicant and Disease Database
Limited evidence of developmental toxicity	CHE Toxicant and Disease Database
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity	Frazier , L, 1998

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Type of concern:	Reference:
Limited evidence of eye toxicity	European Union - Classification & Labelling
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Cancer

Type of concern:	Reference:
Cancer - limited evidence	CHE Toxicant and Disease Database
Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen	EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Toxicology Letters 2004
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2004
One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2000

Neurotoxicity

Type of concern:	Reference:
Limited evidence of nervous system toxicity	CHE Toxicant and Disease Database

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
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Type of concern:	Reference:
Not suspected to be persistent	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications

government/industry list/academic study	appears on list as	classification(s)
European Union - Classification & Labelling	GLYPHOSATE	•Irritant (eyes, skin, or lungs) •Risk of serious damage to eyes •Dangerous for the environment •Toxic to aquatic organisms
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	GLYCINE, N-(PHOSPHONOMETHYL)-	•This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention.
EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)	GLYPHOSATE	•Group D: Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity (EPA classification)
National Library of Medicine HazMap	GLYPHOSATE
Frazier , L, 1998	GLYPHOSATE	•Reproductive toxicity hazards: suspected
RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2000	GLYPHOSATE	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: (Drosophila melanogaster )
RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2004	GLYPHOSATE	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage ( human oth)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998	GLYPHOSATE	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (cattle lym) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: other mutation test systems (cattle lym) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange (cattle lym)
RTECS®- Toxicology Letters 2004	GLYPHOSATE	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage ( human fbr)

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.
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)	EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines.
National Library of Medicine HazMap	NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
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 2000	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. (Alan R. Liss, Inc., 41 E. 11th St., New York, NY 10003) V.10- 36,40,2000
RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2004	RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. (Alan R. Liss, Inc., 41 E. 11th St., New York, NY 10003) V.10- 44,179,2004
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998	RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 403,13,1998
RTECS®- Toxicology Letters 2004	RTECS®- Toxicology Letters. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 147,35,2004

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