Simazine
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Simazine is a hormone-disrupting herbicide related to atrazine. It affects the male and female reproductive systems. In studies of laboratory animals, simazine increases blood levels of estrogen, decreases prolactin and progesterone, and causes mammary and ovarian tumors.
2015:
16
states detected
476
utilities detected
14 million
people served
8
states over health guideline
166
utilities over health guideline
2.1 million
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for simazine
Harm to the developing fetus
Hormone disruption
Harm to the reproductive system
Changes in the nervous system
Changes in brain and behavior
Cancer
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
Health Guideline 0.1 ppb
The health guideline of 0.1 ppb for simazine was defined by EWG based on epidemiological studies of human exposure to atrazine in drinking water. This health guideline protects against harm to the developing fetus, harm to the reproductive system and hormone disruption.
ppb = parts per billion.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 4 ppb
The enforceable federal standard that defines the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.
ppb = parts per billion.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG)4 ppb
A non-enforceable federal health guideline. For cancer-causing chemicals, these health goals are typically set to zero.
ppb = parts per billion.
States reporting simazine in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| Texas | 47 | 546,008 | 173 | 5,838,013 | |||
| Ohio | 9 | 204,406 | 81 | 2,406,204 | |||
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2,325,141 | |||
| Indiana | 2 | 14,902 | 26 | 1,028,021 | |||
| Arizona | 32 | 756,645 | 32 | 756,645 | |||
| North Carolina | 5 | 318,783 | 39 | 566,299 | |||
| Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 22 | 294,858 | |||
| Illinois | 66 | 176,509 | 76 | 198,285 | |||
| Tennessee | 4 | 66,644 | 5 | 66,720 | |||
| New York | 1 | 58,000 | 1 | 58,000 | |||
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33,816 | |||
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 3 | 33,149 | |||
| Missouri | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13,299 | |||
| South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2,256 | |||
| Florida | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,479 | |||
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 1 | 120 | |||
Utilities with the highest amounts of simazine, 2015
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro* | Hillsboro, IL | 2 of 4 | 0.925 ppb | 5,600 |
| Pecan Grove MUD* | Houston, TX | 4 of 10 | 0.676 ppb | 14,913 |
| Mount Olive* | Mount Olive, IL | 2 of 4 | 0.413 ppb | 2,150 |
| Springfield Water System* | Springfield, TN | 1 of 1 | 0.358 ppb | 38,472 |
| Effingham* | Effingham, IL | 2 of 4 | 0.353 ppb | 12,384 |
| Bammel Utility District* | Houston, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.330 ppb | 2,550 |
| City of Grapevine* | Grapevine, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.310 ppb | 48,751 |
| Gulf Coast Water Authority Tx City* | Texas City, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.240 ppb | 0 |
| S L M Water Commission* | Mascoutah, IL | 2 of 5 | 0.236 ppb | 300 |
| City of Pflugerville* | Pflugerville, TX | 2 of 2 | 0.235 ppb | 29,922 |
| Bayview Municipal Utility District* | Bacliff, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.220 ppb | 1,830 |
| Galveston County Municipal Utility District 12 | Hitchcock, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.220 ppb | 4,542 |
| Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District 12 | Bellaire, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.220 ppb | 5,904 |
| Greensburg Municipal Water Works* | Greensburg, IN | 3 of 5 | 0.210 ppb | 12,000 |
| Dallas County Park Cities Municipal Utility District* | Dallas, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.210 ppb | 0 |
| Kinkaid Area Water System* | Murphysboro, IL | 5 of 5 | 0.200 ppb | 1 |
| Mattoon* | Mattoon, IL | 1 of 4 | 0.188 ppb | 19,000 |
| City of Monroe* | Monroe, NC | 1 of 4 | 0.187 ppb | 30,135 |
| Harris County Water Control and Improvement District Fondren Road* | Houston, TX | 2 of 2 | 0.180 ppb | 3,078 |
| Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 41 | Houston, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.180 ppb | 4,167 |
| City of Thomasville* | Thomasville, NC | 1 of 1 | 0.180 ppb | 26,418 |
| City of Sugar Land* | Sugar Land, TX | 5 of 11 | 0.176 ppb | 82,686 |
| Gateway Regional Water Company* | Kinmundy, IL | 1 of 4 | 0.170 ppb | 1 |
| Jericho Water District | Syosset, NY | 6 of 23 | 0.168 ppb | 58,000 |
| Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 119* | Houston, TX | 3 of 3 | 0.163 ppb | 5,289 |
| Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 122* | Houston, TX | 3 of 3 | 0.157 ppb | 3,354 |
| City of Lewisville* | Lewisville, TX | 1 of 2 | 0.150 ppb | 99,480 |
| Warren City PWS* | Cortland, OH | 1 of 1 | 0.140 ppb | 46,832 |
| Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 50* | Houston, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.130 ppb | 4,218 |
| IL American-cairo* | Creve Coeur, IL | 1 of 3 | 0.127 ppb | 3,723 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Simazine, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pecan Grove MUD* | Houston, TX | 4 of 10 | 0.676 ppb | 14,913 |
| Springfield Water System* | Springfield, TN | 1 of 1 | 0.358 ppb | 38,472 |
| Effingham* | Effingham, IL | 2 of 4 | 0.353 ppb | 12,384 |
| City of Grapevine* | Grapevine, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.310 ppb | 48,751 |
| City of Pflugerville* | Pflugerville, TX | 2 of 2 | 0.235 ppb | 29,922 |
| Greensburg Municipal Water Works* | Greensburg, IN | 3 of 5 | 0.210 ppb | 12,000 |
| Mattoon* | Mattoon, IL | 1 of 4 | 0.188 ppb | 19,000 |
| City of Monroe* | Monroe, NC | 1 of 4 | 0.187 ppb | 30,135 |
| City of Thomasville* | Thomasville, NC | 1 of 1 | 0.180 ppb | 26,418 |
| City of Sugar Land* | Sugar Land, TX | 5 of 11 | 0.176 ppb | 82,686 |
| Jericho Water District | Syosset, NY | 6 of 23 | 0.168 ppb | 58,000 |
| City of Lewisville* | Lewisville, TX | 1 of 2 | 0.150 ppb | 99,480 |
| Warren City PWS* | Cortland, OH | 1 of 1 | 0.140 ppb | 46,832 |
| Del-Co Water Company Inc.* | Delaware, OH | 6 of 7 | 0.116 ppb | 141,407 |
| City of Tucson* | Tucson, AZ | 1 of 1 | 0.110 ppb | 675,686 |
| Centralia* | Centralia, IL | 1 of 4 | 0.110 ppb | 14,274 |
| Washington Court House PWS | Washington Court House, OH | 1 of 1 | 0.0960 ppb | 14,100 |
| Fremont City | Fremont, OH | 6 of 6 | 0.0945 ppb | 16,677 |
| Johnston County - West* | Wilson Mills, NC | 1 of 3 | 0.0923 ppb | 45,750 |
| City of South Houston | South Houston, TX | 5 of 7 | 0.0886 ppb | 13,578 |
| Harris County WCID 36* | Houston, TX | 2 of 3 | 0.0867 ppb | 11,065 |
| Johnston County - East* | Wilson Mills, NC | 2 of 4 | 0.0845 ppb | 24,310 |
| Walpole Water Department* | Walpole, MA | 2 of 4 | 0.0825 ppb | 22,830 |
| City of Galena Park | Galena Park, TX | 2 of 2 | 0.0800 ppb | 10,089 |
| Harris County FWSD 51* | Houston, TX | 2 of 2 | 0.0800 ppb | 10,401 |
| City of Texas City | Texas City, TX | 2 of 6 | 0.0800 ppb | 46,081 |
| City of Frederick* | Frederick, MD | 1 of 8 | 0.0763 ppb | 54,000 |
| Harris County MUD 102* | Houston, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.0700 ppb | 10,212 |
| Town of Smithfield* | Smithfield, NC | 1 of 3 | 0.0670 ppb | 11,684 |
| Galveston County WCID 1* | Dickinson, TX | 2 of 3 | 0.0667 ppb | 29,280 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Simazine, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.