Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Atrazine

Cedar Rapids Water Department

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

 

154

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

36

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
20140.165 ppb2619ND - 0.600 ppb
20150.0417 ppb246ND - 0.200 ppb
20160.0577 ppb267ND - 0.500 ppb
20170.0308 ppb265ND - 0.200 ppb
20180.0885 ppb2611ND - 0.500 ppb
20190.0885 ppb2611ND - 0.400 ppb

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
2014-01-082028391ND
2014-01-082028393ND
2014-02-0420323140.1000 ppb
2014-02-042032315ND
2014-03-0420389140.200 ppb
2014-03-0420389150.200 ppb
2014-04-0120437020.1000 ppb
2014-04-0120437030.200 ppb
2014-05-062051482ND
2014-05-062051484ND
2014-06-1020579240.300 ppb
2014-06-1020579250.400 ppb
2014-07-1520648010.600 ppb
2014-07-1520648020.500 ppb
2014-08-0620715660.300 ppb
2014-08-0620715670.400 ppb
2014-09-0320761090.200 ppb
2014-09-0320761100.200 ppb
2014-10-0820853980.1000 ppb
2014-10-0820854010.1000 ppb
2014-10-0820842870.1000 ppb
2014-10-0820842890.1000 ppb
2014-11-0420893980.1000 ppb
2014-11-042089399ND
2014-12-022094999ND
2014-12-0220950000.1000 ppb
2015-01-06OE208981ND
2015-01-06OE208979ND
2015-02-03OE212653ND
2015-02-03OE212654ND
2015-03-10OE219210ND
2015-03-10OE219211ND
2015-04-07OE228731ND
2015-04-07OE228729ND
2015-05-05OE240279ND
2015-05-05OE240278ND
2015-06-02OE250978ND
2015-06-02OE2509800.200 ppb
2015-07-07OE2651970.200 ppb
2015-07-07OE2651950.200 ppb
2015-08-04OE2772000.200 ppb
2015-08-05OE277199ND
2015-09-01OE2886500.1000 ppb
2015-09-01OE2886510.1000 ppb
2015-10-06OE302401ND
2015-10-06OE302405ND
2015-10-06OE302403ND
2015-10-06OE302404ND
2015-11-03OE314505ND
2015-11-03OE314506ND
2016-01-05OE333112ND
2016-01-05OE333114ND
2016-02-02OE341813ND
2016-02-02OE341812ND
2016-03-01OE351023ND
2016-03-01OE351024ND
2016-04-05OE363125ND
2016-04-05OE363126ND
2016-05-03OE374503ND
2016-05-03OE374504ND
2016-06-07OE3872860.1000 ppb
2016-06-07OE3872840.1000 ppb
2016-07-05OE3972610.500 ppb
2016-07-05OE3972600.300 ppb
2016-08-02OE4105820.200 ppb
2016-08-02OE4105810.200 ppb
2016-09-06OE425334ND
2016-09-06OE4253350.1000 ppb
2016-10-10OE438462ND
2016-10-10OE438459ND
2016-10-17OE441633ND
2016-10-17OE441634ND
2016-11-01OE448206ND
2016-11-01OE448207ND
2016-12-06OE459323ND
2016-12-06OE459322ND
2017-01-03OE467516ND
2017-01-03OE467517ND
2017-02-07OE479086ND
2017-02-07OE479088ND
2017-03-07OE488542ND
2017-03-07OE488543ND
2017-04-04OE498242ND
2017-04-04OE498243ND
2017-05-02OE508278ND
2017-05-02OE508280ND
2017-06-06OE521220ND
2017-06-06OE5212220.1000 ppb
2017-07-05OE5328440.200 ppb
2017-07-05OE5328450.200 ppb
2017-08-01OE5451400.200 ppb
2017-08-01OE5451390.1000 ppb
2017-09-12OE564049ND
2017-09-12OE564051ND
2017-10-03OE573413ND
2017-10-03OE573418ND
2017-11-07OE588322ND
2017-11-07OE588323ND
2017-11-20OE592397ND
2017-11-20OE592396ND
2017-12-12OE600497ND
2017-12-12OE600498ND
2018-01-16OE611580ND
2018-01-16OE611581ND
2018-02-06OE619689ND
2018-02-06OE619690ND
2018-03-06OE631638ND
2018-03-14OE633823ND
2018-04-03OE641493ND
2018-04-03OE641494ND
2018-05-01OE652376ND
2018-05-01OE652377ND
2018-06-05OE6671560.200 ppb
2018-06-05OE6671570.200 ppb
2018-07-03OE6782100.500 ppb
2018-07-03OE6782110.500 ppb
2018-08-07OE6965540.200 ppb
2018-08-07OE6965560.200 ppb
2018-09-05OE7089290.1000 ppb
2018-09-05OE7089300.1000 ppb
2018-10-02OE7220380.1000 ppb
2018-10-02OE7220400.1000 ppb
2018-11-06OE7362540.1000 ppb
2018-11-06OE736255ND
2018-11-06OE736260ND
2018-11-06OE736261ND
2018-12-04OE746434ND
2018-12-04OE746435ND
2019-01-08OE757692ND
2019-01-08OE757693ND
2019-02-05OE767848ND
2019-02-05OE7678500.1000 ppb
2019-03-05OE777394ND
2019-03-05OE777395ND
2019-04-02OE788685ND
2019-04-02OE788687ND
2019-05-07OE804461ND
2019-05-07OE804463ND
2019-06-04OE8162070.400 ppb
2019-06-04OE8162080.200 ppb
2019-07-02OE8289620.300 ppb
2019-07-02OE8289630.200 ppb
2019-08-06OE8455420.200 ppb
2019-08-20OE8530880.200 ppb
2019-09-03OE8603260.200 ppb
2019-09-03OE8603270.300 ppb
2019-10-01OE8732060.1000 ppb
2019-10-01OE8732070.1000 ppb
2019-11-19OE895605ND
2019-11-19OE895606ND
2019-11-19OE895628ND
2019-11-19OE895629ND
2019-12-03OE900645ND
2019-12-03OE900646ND