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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

Oro Valley Water Utility

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.

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
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016ND330ND
2017N/A00N/A
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND290ND

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
2016-01-043381311ND
2016-01-053382051ND
2016-01-123385114ND
2016-01-133385896ND
2016-01-143386689ND
2016-01-143386649ND
2016-01-193388442ND
2016-01-193388436ND
2016-01-193388178ND
2016-01-203388830ND
2016-01-203388823ND
2016-01-213389523ND
2016-01-213389523ND
2016-01-253390662ND
2016-01-263391054ND
2016-02-013393607ND
2016-07-123491868ND
2016-07-133492982ND
2016-07-133492976ND
2016-07-143493985ND
2016-07-143493976ND
2016-07-143493970ND
2016-07-1837491868ND
2016-07-183496288ND
2016-07-183496282ND
2016-07-203499085ND
2016-07-213500429ND
2016-07-213500423ND
2016-07-213500417ND
2016-07-263504295ND
2016-07-263504300ND
2016-07-263503664ND
2016-07-273505860ND
2019-01-144173149ND
2019-01-144173143ND
2019-01-154174530ND
2019-01-154174524ND
2019-01-154174402ND
2019-01-154174396ND
2019-01-164176212ND
2019-01-164176206ND
2019-01-164176196ND
2019-01-164176190ND
2019-01-174177477ND
2019-01-174177424ND
2019-01-174177430ND
2019-01-174177483ND
2019-01-174177498ND
2019-07-014341809ND
2019-07-014341800ND
2019-07-014341795ND
2019-07-025343549ND
2019-07-024343557ND
2019-07-024343543ND
2019-07-084347963ND
2019-07-094347969ND
2019-07-104350884ND
2019-07-154356789ND
2019-07-164356782ND
2019-07-174358295ND
2019-07-184358302ND
2019-07-184358308ND