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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

City of Baltimore

2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a herbicide that can be applied directly to GMO corn and soy plants engineered to withstand this toxic chemical. Americans' exposures to 2,4-D from food and drinking water will likely increase in years to come as farmers plant more of these GMO crops. Read More.

2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid hormones. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 2,4-D as possibly carcinogenic to humans. In occupational studies, farmers exposed to 2,4-D tended to have higher incidences of damaged and malformed sperm. Laboratory animals exposed to 2,4-D during gestation are born underdeveloped and are more likely to have birth defects.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND20ND
2015ND50ND
2016ND30ND
2017ND20ND
2018ND50ND
2019ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 20 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 20 ppb for 2,4-D was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 70 ppb

The legal limit for 2,4-D, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit may not fully protect against harm to the nervous system, harm to the thyroid, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-290300002_02_00348ND
2014-01-290300002_01_00348ND
2015-06-22E15004053001ND
2015-06-22E15004053003ND
2015-12-10ASH_TND
2015-12-10PLTS_1ND
2015-12-10PLT_2ND
2016-05-23E16004413006ND
2016-05-23E16004413004ND
2016-05-23E16004413002ND
2017-06-20E17005034001ND
2017-06-20E17005035001ND
2018-05-14E18004105001ND
2018-05-14E18004100003ND
2018-10-312347944003ND
2018-10-312347944001ND
2018-10-312347944002ND
2019-07-31E20000422001ND
2019-07-31E20000423001ND