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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

Lihue-Kapaa

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.

 

78

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND20ND
2015ND360ND
2016N/A00N/A
2017ND20ND
20180.0167 ppb361ND - 0.600 ppb
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
2014-03-17C14-03-0011AND
2014-09-08C14-09-0012AND
2015-01-20C15-01-0017AND
2015-01-20C15-01-0016AND
2015-01-20C15-01-0019AND
2015-01-21C15-01-0052AND
2015-01-21C15-01-0053AND
2015-01-21C15-01-0054AND
2015-01-21C15-01-0055AND
2015-01-21C15-01-0056AND
2015-03-16C15-03-0040AND
2015-03-16C15-03-0039AND
2015-03-16C15-03-0038AND
2015-03-16C15-03-0037AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0088AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0089AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0090AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0094AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0095AND
2015-03-18C15-03-0096AND
2015-04-13C15-04-0051AND
2015-04-13C15-04-0050AND
2015-04-13C15-04-0049AND
2015-04-15C15-04-0089AND
2015-04-15C15-04-0090AND
2015-04-15C15-04-0091AND
2015-04-15C15-04-0092AND
2015-06-08C15-06-0115AND
2015-06-08C15-06-0114AND
2015-06-08C15-06-0113AND
2015-06-08C15-06-0112AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0110AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0111AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0109AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0108AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0107AND
2015-06-09C15-06-0106AND
2015-09-30201510020546ND
2017-04-12ND
2017-07-17ND
2018-01-16C18-01-0081AND
2018-01-16C18-01-0080AND
2018-01-16C18-01-0079AND
2018-01-16C18-01-0078AND
2018-01-17C18-01-0083AND
2018-01-17C18-01-0084AND
2018-03-19C18-03-0125AND
2018-03-19C18-03-0126AND
2018-03-19C18-03-0127AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0146AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0128AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0129AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0149AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0148AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0147AND
2018-07-10C18-07-0130AND
2018-07-12201807000000ND
2018-07-12201807130880ND
2018-07-23C18-07-0347AND
2018-07-23C18-07-0348AND
2018-07-23C18-07-0346AND
2018-07-24C18-07-0345AND
2018-07-24C18-07-0344AND
2018-07-24C18-07-0343AND
2018-07-25C18-07-0370AND
2018-07-25C18-07-0371AND
2018-09-11C18-09-0218AND
2018-10-08C18-10-0035AND
2018-10-10C18-10-0038AND
2018-10-10C18-10-0042AND
2018-10-10C18-10-0039A0.600 ppb
2018-10-10C18-10-0041AND
2018-10-10C18-10-0036AND
2018-10-10C18-10-0037AND
2018-10-22C18-10-0050AND
2018-12-05201812060420ND
2019-03-11C19-03-0036AND
2019-06-17C19-06-0123AND