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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

Moore County Public Util. - Pinehurst

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

 

60

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016ND300ND
2017N/A00N/A
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND300ND

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
2016-06-0737729_16-18164ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18165ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18166ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18167ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18168ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18169ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18170ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18171ND
2016-06-0737729_16-18163ND
2016-06-1037729_16-19321ND
2016-06-1237729_16-19320ND
2016-06-1237729_16-19317ND
2016-06-1337729_16-19322ND
2016-06-1337729_16-19323ND
2016-06-1337729_16-19324ND
2016-09-063541959ND
2016-09-063541954ND
2016-09-063541948ND
2016-09-133545837ND
2016-09-133545842ND
2016-09-133545847ND
2016-09-143545831ND
2016-09-143545826ND
2016-09-143545821ND
2016-09-193550523ND
2016-09-193550528ND
2016-09-193550518ND
2016-09-203550534ND
2016-09-203550539ND
2016-09-203550544ND
2019-01-2937729_19-04185 ND
2019-01-2937729_19-04184 ND
2019-01-2937729_19-04183 ND
2019-01-2937729_19-04182 ND
2019-01-2937729_19-04181 ND
2019-02-0637729_19-05332 ND
2019-02-0637729_19-05326 ND
2019-02-1237729_19-06279 ND
2019-02-1237729_19-06278 ND
2019-02-1237729_19-06277 ND
2019-02-1237729_19-06275 ND
2019-02-1937729_19-07168 ND
2019-02-1937729_19-07172 ND
2019-02-1937729_19-07171 ND
2019-02-1937729_19-07170 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28802 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28801 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28800 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28799 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28798 ND
2019-07-0937729_19-28797 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29991 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29988 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29987 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29976 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29989 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29993 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29992 ND
2019-07-1637729_19-29990 ND
2019-07-2937729_19-32169 ND