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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

Bella Vista City Water System

Atrazine is a herbicide commonly detected in drinking water that comes from cornfield and other agricultural runoff. It is a hormone disrupter that harms the male and female reproductive systems of people and wildlife. Read More.

Federal laws allow up to 3 parts per billion of atrazine in treated tap water. Water suppliers average atrazine measurements collected over a year, which means that the reported values underestimate intense spikes of elevated exposures during the periods in late spring and early summer when atrazine is applied in large amounts on farm fields.

Human epidemiological studies suggest that federal standards for atrazine are insufficient to protect public health. In 1999 the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal of 0.15 parts per billion for atrazine in drinking water, based on a study finding increased rates of breast cancer in rats exposed to the chemical. California’s legal maximum for atrazine in tap water is 1 ppb.

Click here to read more about atrazine.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

62

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND320ND
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017ND80ND
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND220ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for atrazine 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.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 3 ppb

The legal limit for atrazine, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit does not fully protect against harm to the reproductive system, harm to the developing fetus, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-142958547ND
2014-01-142958539ND
2014-01-142958505ND
2014-01-142958497ND
2014-01-142958449ND
2014-01-1429584232ND
2014-01-142958302ND
2014-01-142958232ND
2014-01-142958225ND
2014-01-142958200ND
2014-01-152959277ND
2014-01-152959269ND
2014-01-152959491ND
2014-01-152959509ND
2014-01-152959501ND
2014-01-152969261ND
2014-05-203031593ND
2014-08-133084005ND
2014-08-133084013ND
2014-08-133084029ND
2014-08-133084037ND
2014-08-133084047ND
2014-08-143084323ND
2014-08-143084315ND
2014-08-143084307ND
2014-08-143084299ND
2014-08-143084291ND
2014-08-143084283ND
2014-08-143084275ND
2014-08-143084267ND
2014-08-213089438ND
2014-08-263093178ND
2017-01-043617215ND
2017-01-043617209ND
2017-01-043616725ND
2017-01-043616719ND
2017-07-183737777ND
2017-07-183737771ND
2017-07-183737765ND
2017-07-183737759ND
2019-01-284185328ND
2019-01-284185322ND
2019-01-284185316ND
2019-01-284185310ND
2019-01-314186735ND
2019-01-314186729ND
2019-01-314186741ND
2019-02-014188469ND
2019-02-014188463ND
2019-02-014188457ND
2019-02-014188451ND
2019-04-034249753ND
2019-04-034249747ND
2019-04-034249741ND
2019-04-034249735ND
2019-04-044250297ND
2019-04-044250333ND
2019-04-044250327ND
2019-04-044250321ND
2019-04-044250315ND
2019-04-044250309ND
2019-04-044250303ND