Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

2,4-D

City of Caldwell

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.

 

26

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND90ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND50ND
2022ND120ND
2023N/A00N/A

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
2019-08-06S1938597ND
2019-08-06S1938599ND
2019-08-06S1938601ND
2019-08-06S1938594ND
2019-08-06S1938591ND
2019-08-06S1938593ND
2019-08-19S1941181ND
2019-08-19S1941172ND
2019-08-19S1941179ND
2021-06-30S2132702ND
2021-10-28S2158342ND
2021-10-28S2158341ND
2021-10-28S2158343ND
2021-11-15S2162154ND
2022-06-29S2231081ND
2022-07-06S2231994ND
2022-07-06S2231993ND
2022-07-06S2232001ND
2022-07-13S2233509ND
2022-10-12S2251056ND
2022-10-12S2251055ND
2022-10-12S2251041ND
2022-10-12S2251030ND
2022-10-19S2252265ND
2022-10-19S2252264ND
2022-10-19S2252266ND