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Dicamba in California

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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).

The Most Polluted Communities in California

2 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	Cwsc King City San Jose, CA	11,510	1 of 17	0.09 ppb (0 to 1.5 ppb)
2	Calif Correctnl Inst Tehachapi Tehachapi, CA	5,600	1 of 3	< 0.01 ppb (0 to 0.02 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

Violation Summary for Dicamba in California

There are no violations reported for this contaminant in California