Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Meridian Water Department

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.

 

168

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

9

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0171 ppb214ND - 0.0950 ppb
20190.0158 ppb255ND - 0.0980 ppb
20200.00747 ppb192ND - 0.0850 ppb
20210.0602 ppb115ND - 0.240 ppb
20220.0304 ppb368ND - 0.240 ppb
20230.0120 ppb566ND - 0.220 ppb

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
2018-01-30S1804235ND
2018-04-10S201804120311ND
2018-04-16S2018041705780.0780 ppb
2018-05-08S201805100879ND
2018-05-08S201805100873ND
2018-05-08S201805100870ND
2018-05-08S201805100876ND
2018-05-08S201805100878ND
2018-05-08S201805100872ND
2018-05-08S201805100877ND
2018-05-09S201805100996ND
2018-05-09S201805100997ND
2018-07-09S201807111095ND
2018-07-09S201807111096ND
2018-09-18S2018092000260.0920 ppb
2018-10-29S201810300481ND
2018-11-05S201811060665ND
2018-11-26201811270590ND
2018-11-262018112705940.0950 ppb
2018-11-26S2018112705940.0950 ppb
2018-11-26S201811270590ND
2019-01-28S201901290168ND
2019-01-30201901310335S0.0550 ppb
2019-02-06S201902070845ND
2019-03-04S201903050292ND
2019-04-09201904100430AND
2019-04-09201904100102AND
2019-05-08S2019050903830.0980 ppb
2019-05-082019050903830.0980 ppb
2019-05-09S201905100171ND
2019-05-09201907160181ND
2019-05-28201905290111ND
2019-06-06S201907160184ND
2019-06-06201907160184ND
2019-06-17201906180390ND
2019-06-17201906180256ND
2019-06-17S201906180256ND
2019-06-17S201906180390ND
2019-06-18201906190426ND
2019-08-27201908280395ND
2019-09-12201909130158ND
2019-09-172019091805560.0650 ppb
2019-09-18201909190329ND
2019-12-10S201912110681ND
2019-12-162019121706090.0780 ppb
2019-12-16201912170166ND
2020-03-10202003110242ND
2020-03-102020031102530.0570 ppb
2020-03-17202003180341ND
2020-03-17202003180445ND
2020-03-18202003190169ND
2020-04-07202004080530ND
2020-04-07202004080558ND
2020-04-14202004150455ND
2020-04-14202004160513ND
2020-06-04202006050260ND
2020-06-09202006100622ND
2020-07-292020073004010.0850 ppb
2020-11-18202011190506ND
2020-11-18202011190532ND
2020-11-18202011190533ND
2020-11-23202011240344ND
2020-11-23202011240342ND
2020-11-24202011250284ND
2020-12-02202012030482ND
2021-01-20202101210278ND
2021-01-26S4827998ND
2021-01-26S4827999ND
2021-01-26S4827997ND
2021-01-26S4828000ND
2021-05-182021051907220.0680 ppb
2021-07-152021071700770.0740 ppb
2021-07-212021072202760.170 ppb
2021-09-282021092904910.110 ppb
2021-11-16202111170827ND
2021-11-162021111706840.240 ppb
2022-02-15202202170046ND
2022-02-15202202170047ND
2022-02-15202202160929ND
2022-02-15202202160930ND
2022-02-162022021800450.0540 ppb
2022-02-22202202231260ND
2022-02-22202202231261ND
2022-02-22202202231263ND
2022-02-22202202231264ND
2022-02-28202203030667ND
2022-02-28202203030668ND
2022-03-012022030209930.0710 ppb
2022-03-07810-17975-1ND
2022-03-07810-17975-2ND
2022-03-07810-17977-2ND
2022-03-07810-18011-1ND
2022-03-07810-18013-1ND
2022-03-07810-18013-2ND
2022-03-08810-18017-10.220 ppb
2022-03-30202203310239ND
2022-03-30202203310240ND
2022-04-12202204140057ND
2022-04-12202204140646ND
2022-04-12202204130784ND
2022-05-10380-1913-20.190 ppb
2022-05-10380-1913-10.0640 ppb
2022-08-02380-14556-1ND
2022-08-02380-14561-10.180 ppb
2022-10-12380-24415-10.0760 ppb
2022-11-15380-28431-10.240 ppb
2022-11-16380-28629-1ND
2022-11-16380-28732-1ND
2022-12-19380-31949-1ND
2022-12-19380-31896-1ND
2022-12-19380-31915-1ND
2022-12-20380-32187-1ND
2023-01-11380-34262-10.0610 ppb
2023-01-11380-34262-2ND
2023-06-05380-49974-10.0540 ppb
2023-06-05380-49974-4ND
2023-08-01380-57235-1ND
2023-08-02380-57434-1ND
2023-08-02380-57496-1ND
2023-08-02380-57460-1ND
2023-08-02380-57439-1ND
2023-08-02380-57437-1ND
2023-08-02380-57464-1ND
2023-08-02380-57431-1AAND
2023-08-07380-57977-1ND
2023-08-07380-57957-1ND
2023-08-07380-57974-1ND
2023-08-07380-57897-1ND
2023-08-07380-57894-1ND
2023-08-07380-57899-1ND
2023-08-09380-58781-1ND
2023-08-09380-58781-2ND
2023-08-09380-58355-1ND
2023-08-09380-58481-1ND
2023-08-09380-58496-10.220 ppb
2023-08-10380-58742-1ND
2023-08-10380-58749-1ND
2023-08-10380-58702-1ND
2023-08-14380-59170-1ND
2023-08-14380-59170-2ND
2023-08-14380-59113-1ND
2023-08-14380-59113-2ND
2023-08-14380-59090-1ND
2023-08-14380-59090-2ND
2023-08-15380-59356-1ND
2023-08-15380-59356-2ND
2023-08-15380-59374-10.220 ppb
2023-08-15380-59374-2ND
2023-08-15380-59367-1ND
2023-08-15380-59367-2ND
2023-08-15380-59371-1ND
2023-08-15380-59371-2ND
2023-08-16380-59628-1ND
2023-08-17380-59772-1ND
2023-08-17380-59772-2ND
2023-08-17380-59765-1ND
2023-08-17380-59765-2ND
2023-08-17380-59763-1ND
2023-09-05380-61825-10.0540 ppb
2023-09-05380-61825-3ND
2023-09-26380-64488-1ND
2023-09-26380-64427-1ND
2023-09-27380-64758-1ND
2023-09-27380-64758-2ND
2023-10-03380-65599-10.0620 ppb
2023-10-03380-65599-4ND
2023-11-14380-71156-1ND
2023-11-14380-71138-1ND