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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

City of Sherman

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.

 

44

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20140.0200 ppb41ND - 0.0800 ppb
2015ND150ND
2016ND50ND
20170.0200 ppb51ND - 0.1000 ppb
20180.01000 ppb101ND - 0.1000 ppb
2019ND50ND

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
2014-04-22Q14127620020.0800 ppb
2014-04-22Q1412762001ND
2014-08-20Q1438015028ND
2014-08-20Q1438015027ND
2015-03-17Q1509888002ND
2015-03-17Q1509888001ND
2015-04-23Q1515169035ND
2015-04-23Q1515169032ND
2015-04-23Q1515169033ND
2015-04-23Q1515169034ND
2015-04-23Q1515169036ND
2015-04-23Q1515169018ND
2015-04-23Q1515169019ND
2015-04-23Q1515169020ND
2015-07-22Q1528508004ND
2015-07-22Q1528508003ND
2015-09-09Q1535058001ND
2015-11-03Q1543355006ND
2015-11-03Q1543355001ND
2016-01-20Q1602479016ND
2016-01-20Q1602479015ND
2016-04-11Q1614214013ND
2016-04-11Q1614214005ND
2016-11-08Q1648503001ND
2017-01-12Q17015560030.1000 ppb
2017-01-12Q1701556008ND
2017-10-10Q1751594033ND
2017-10-10Q1751594032ND
2017-11-14Q1758437003ND
2018-01-10Q1801240016ND
2018-01-10Q1801240013ND
2018-01-10Q1801240014ND
2018-01-10Q1801240015ND
2018-01-10Q1801240017ND
2018-01-10Q1801240018ND
2018-01-10Q1801240019ND
2018-07-05Q18266050030.1000 ppb
2018-08-20Q1833198001ND
2018-11-29Q1848810002ND
2019-02-12Q1906434010ND
2019-02-12Q1906434009ND
2019-02-12Q1906434008ND
2019-05-07Q1922272013ND
2019-05-07Q1922272014ND