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

Atrazine is a herbicide used on row crops. Potential health impacts associated with Atrazine include cancer, endocrine toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of Atrazine:

Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Atrazine tests reported by 22,008 public water suppliers in 41 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 19.1 million people in 702 communities drank water contaminated with Atrazine. In 345 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

19,142,004 People drinking water contaminated with Atrazine 702 Communities served water contaminated with Atrazine 7,166,329 People drinking water contaminated with Atrazine over health based limits 345 Communities served water with Atrazine above health based limits

Table. Atrazine Exposure by State

7.2 million Americans in 21 states were served tap water contaminated with Atrazine at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Atrazine contamination		Water suppliers reporting Atrazine above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Ohio	75	2,984,751	55	2,262,883
Indiana	39	1,729,836	22	1,326,447
Virginia	3	1,688,922	2	893,922
Illinois	89	1,062,792	64	836,920
Texas	105	3,447,217	38	359,941
Kentucky	38	1,493,370	25	346,446
Missouri	63	330,742	41	241,857
Nebraska	61	919,214	14	234,577
Iowa	69	769,296	34	234,237
Florida	8	307,117	2	147,240
Pennsylvania	36	3,005,695	10	105,770
North Carolina	14	314,886	5	58,827
Tennessee	14	163,885	3	30,918
Michigan	6	95,822	4	30,481
Minnesota	9	114,447	6	17,086
South Dakota	1	15,000	1	15,000
Wisconsin	35	137,317	11	10,789
New Hampshire	1	5,200	1	5,200
Colorado	4	5,672	3	4,850
Alabama	8	102,258	1	2,292
New Mexico	5	7,916	3	646
Idaho	3	186,825	0	0
California	4	123,617	0	0
North Dakota	1	90,599	0	0
New York	3	21,471	0	0
Washington	4	9,880	0	0
Arizona	4	8,257	0	0
Total	702	19,142,004	345	7,166,329

Table. The most polluted communities

7.2 million Americans in 345 communities were served tap water contaminated with Atrazine above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Atrazine level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Town of Nucla Water Nucla, CO	1,350	1 of 1	8.1 ppb (8.1 to 8.1 ppb)
2	Granby, Town Of Granby, CO	1,500	1 of 1	7.1 ppb (7.1 to 7.1 ppb)
3	St Elmo St Elmo, IL	2,263	2 of 2	3.45 ppb (1 to 5.9 ppb)
4	Nauvoo Water Works Nauvoo, AL	2,292	1 of 1	3.4 ppb (3.4 to 3.4 ppb)
5	Marion Water Department Marion, KY	5,438	2 of 13	2.38 ppb (0 to 21 ppb)
6	Hettick Hettick, IL	182	16 of 22	2.23 ppb (0 to 7.2 ppb)
7	Ashley Ashley, IL	650	2 of 3	2.07 ppb (0 to 3.4 ppb)
8	City of Napoleon Water Napoleon, OH	9,318	16 of 23	1.97 ppb (0 to 13 ppb)
9	Farina Farina, IL	600	21 of 21	1.93 ppb (0.56 to 6.6 ppb)
10	City of Imperial Water Imperial, NE	1,984	5 of 7	1.65 ppb (0 to 6 ppb)

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Health based limits for Atrazine

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	3 ppb	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.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	3 ppb	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.
California Public Health Goals	0.15 ppb	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.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	1000 ppb	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.

Testing Summary for Atrazine

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Atrazine tests per year. 17,743 water suppliers failed to report any Atrazine tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Atrazine by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Atrazine (1998-2003): 22,008 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Atrazine Violations

Table. 2.9 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Atrazine between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	2,755	1,670
	(2.9% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	2,714	1,654
	(2.9% of all suppliers)
Reporting violations (1998-2003)	7	7
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	34	18
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)