Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Meriden Water Division

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.

 

47

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND140ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND70ND
2022ND70ND
2023ND160ND

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

Date Lab ID Result
2018-10-24CB81095ND
2018-10-24CB81094ND
2019-01-16CC30225ND
2019-01-16CC30226ND
2019-01-16CC30223ND
2019-03-06CC63089ND
2019-04-17CC96464ND
2019-04-25CD01541ND
2019-04-25CD01542ND
2019-04-29CD03411ND
2019-05-29CD22755ND
2019-06-19CD38006ND
2019-06-19CD38007ND
2019-07-31CD69100ND
2019-09-25CE17376ND
2019-12-16CE88625ND
2020-06-10CG10478ND
2021-06-09CI51083ND
2021-06-09CI51084ND
2021-06-09CI51085ND
2021-06-09CI51086ND
2021-06-23CI60841ND
2021-06-23CI60842ND
2021-08-25CJ13495ND
2022-04-14CL08938ND
2022-04-20CL12757ND
2022-04-20CL12758ND
2022-04-20CL12759ND
2022-04-20CL12763ND
2022-04-20CL12764ND
2022-06-27CL64556ND
2023-01-30CN32216ND
2023-01-30CN32220ND
2023-01-30CN32215ND
2023-01-30CN32211ND
2023-01-30CN32210ND
2023-01-30CN32209ND
2023-02-08CN38286ND
2023-03-08CN55433ND
2023-04-05CN76398ND
2023-05-24CO13396ND
2023-05-24CO13395ND
2023-05-24CO13394ND
2023-05-31CO16784ND
2023-05-31CO16785ND
2023-07-19CO54216ND
2023-10-04CP16968ND