Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

2,4-D

New Britain Water Department

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND50ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-04-16SOCR 200492175ND
2018-04-16SOCR 200492173ND
2018-04-16SOCR 200492174ND
2018-04-16SOCR 200492172ND
2019-04-25SOCR 200529602ND
2019-04-25SOCR 200529605ND
2019-04-25SOCR 200529603ND
2019-04-25SOCR 200529604ND
2020-04-22SOCR 200573261ND
2020-04-22SOCR 200573264ND
2020-04-22SOCR 200573262ND
2020-04-22SOCR 200573263ND
2020-05-12SOC 200575348ND
2020-09-16SOC 200590476ND
2021-04-20SOCR 200613887ND
2021-04-20SOCR 200613886ND
2021-04-20SOCR 200613885ND
2021-04-20SOCR 200613884ND
2021-09-28300069325 300069326ND
2022-04-20H300172353 300172354ND
2022-04-20H300172362 300172363ND
2022-04-20H300172356 300172357ND
2022-04-20H300172359 300172360ND
2022-05-24S300188084 300188129ND
2022-09-19S300245682 300245683ND
2023-04-17H300334377 300334378ND
2023-04-17H300334386 300334387ND
2023-04-17H300334380 300334381ND
2023-04-17H300334383 300334384ND
2023-05-22S300354391 300354392ND