Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

University of Connecticut - Main Campus

NOTE: University of Connecticut - Main Campus purchases water from Connecticut Water Company - Northern Region-Western System which is required to test for atrazine. Sample information shown below was taken by Connecticut Water Company - Northern Region-Western System.

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND40ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND40ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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

NOTE: University of Connecticut - Main Campus purchases water from Connecticut Water Company - Northern Region-Western System which is required to test for atrazine. Sample information shown below was taken by Connecticut Water Company - Northern Region-Western System.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-31BZ82950SOC2ND
2018-06-28CA80715SOC2ND
2018-07-26CA99050ND
2019-01-09SOC 200518249ND
2019-03-11SOC 200524185ND
2022-01-31CK26558ND
2022-02-28CK76167ND
2022-04-18CL11075ND
2022-08-26CM16197ND
2022-08-26CM16200ND
2022-09-07CM25593ND
2022-09-08CM25670ND
2022-09-20CM37292ND
2022-09-20CM37296ND
2022-10-04CM49624ND
2022-10-04CM49621ND
2022-10-06CM51510ND
2022-10-06CM51504ND
2022-10-06CM50872ND
2022-11-03CM76536ND