Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

2,4-D

Del City

2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a herbicide that can be applied directly to GMO corn and soy plants engineered to withstand this toxic chemical. Americans' exposures to 2,4-D from food and drinking water will likely increase in years to come as farmers plant more of these GMO crops. Read More.

2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid hormones. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 2,4-D as possibly carcinogenic to humans. In occupational studies, farmers exposed to 2,4-D tended to have higher incidences of damaged and malformed sperm. Laboratory animals exposed to 2,4-D during gestation are born underdeveloped and are more likely to have birth defects.

 

54

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018ND360ND
2019ND180ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 20 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 20 ppb for 2,4-D was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 70 ppb

The legal limit for 2,4-D, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit may not fully protect against harm to the nervous system, harm to the thyroid, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-273881628ND
2018-02-273881619ND
2018-02-273881610ND
2018-03-073886271ND
2018-03-073886262ND
2018-03-083887092ND
2018-03-083887083ND
2018-03-153892187ND
2018-03-153892178ND
2018-04-263922014ND
2018-05-033927866ND
2018-05-033927857ND
2018-05-313950122ND
2018-05-313950112ND
2018-06-063955059ND
2018-06-063954660ND
2018-06-213969633ND
2018-06-213969624ND
2018-08-284039474ND
2018-08-284039421ND
2018-08-284039391ND
2018-08-304042699ND
2018-08-304042690ND
2018-08-304042673ND
2018-09-054047096ND
2018-09-054047464ND
2018-09-054047105ND
2018-10-254102020ND
2018-10-254102012ND
2018-10-254102002ND
2018-10-254101966ND
2018-11-014108724ND
2018-11-014108716ND
2018-11-014108708ND
2018-11-074115030ND
2018-11-074115022ND
2019-05-014280236ND
2019-05-014280248ND
2019-05-014280262ND
2019-05-014280274ND
2019-05-084288065ND
2019-05-084288056ND
2019-05-084287881ND
2019-05-084287788ND
2019-06-054315239ND
2019-12-164516142ND
2019-12-164516133ND
2019-12-164516124ND
2019-12-164516115ND
2019-12-174517981ND
2019-12-174517932ND
2019-12-174517923ND
2019-12-174517902ND
2019-12-194521461ND