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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

North Kona

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.

 

42

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND180ND
2015ND20ND
2016N/A00N/A
2017ND120ND
2018ND80ND
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
2014-03-18C14-03-0148AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0149AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0150AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0151AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0152AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0153AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0154AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0155AND
2014-03-18C14-03-0147AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0148AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0150AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0149AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0147AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0146AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0145AND
2014-04-15C14-04-0144ND
2014-04-15C14-04-0143ND
2014-07-07C14-07-0094AND
2015-08-19201508150137ND
2015-11-18201508150170ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-03-14ND
2017-06-05ND
2017-06-05ND
2017-06-05ND
2017-06-05ND
2017-06-05ND
2017-06-05ND
2018-01-17C18-01-0085AND
2018-01-17C18-01-0086AND
2018-06-18C18-06-0129AND
2018-07-08201805230559ND
2018-09-24C18-09-0286AND
2018-10-15201810170192ND
2018-12-03C18-12-0016AND
2018-12-03C18-12-0017AND
2019-09-09201909100461ND
2019-10-09C19-10-0031AND