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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

City of Idaho Falls

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.

 

31

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND10ND
2015N/A00N/A
2016ND30ND
2017ND230ND
2018ND20ND
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
2014-02-27B17021888-003ND
2016-12-13SB16121040003ND
2016-12-13SB16121040002ND
2016-12-13SB16121040001ND
2017-02-27SB17021888003ND
2017-02-27SB17021888002ND
2017-02-27SB17021888001ND
2017-03-30SB17032436001ND
2017-06-13SB17061702002ND
2017-06-13B17061702009ND
2017-06-13B17061702005ND
2017-06-13SB17061702008ND
2017-06-13SB17061702006ND
2017-06-13SB17061702005ND
2017-06-13SB17061702004ND
2017-06-13SB17061702003ND
2017-06-13SB17061702001ND
2017-06-13SB17061702007ND
2017-06-13SB17061702009ND
2017-06-13SB17061702010ND
2017-08-07SB17080956005ND
2017-08-07SB17080956004ND
2017-08-07SB17080956001ND
2017-08-07SB17080956003ND
2017-08-07SB17080956002ND
2017-08-07SB17080956006ND
2017-08-07SB17080956007ND
2018-09-18SB18091727001ND
2018-10-10SB18101095001ND
2019-03-25SB19032049001ND
2019-04-16SB19041514001ND