Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

2,4-D

Carthage

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.

 

21

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.1000 ppb42ND - 0.300 ppb
20190.175 ppb41ND - 0.700 ppb
2020ND40ND
20210.913 ppb31ND - 2.74 ppb
2022ND40ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-02-0538912301ND
2018-05-07392017010.300 ppb
2018-09-09399216010.1000 ppb
2018-12-0942512101ND
2019-02-1142261401ND
2019-04-0743308601ND
2019-08-1144921301ND
2019-11-11466352010.700 ppb
2020-02-162002D47-001AND
2020-05-182005E75-001CND
2020-07-122007B86-001AND
2020-10-042010423-001AND
2021-02-282103501-001AND
2021-05-252105Q83-001C2.74 ppb
2021-11-022111667-001AND
2022-02-142202F49-001AND
2022-04-262204M85-001CND
2022-07-062207405-001CND
2022-11-18FK04344-01ND
2023-01-12GA02520-01ND
2023-05-05GE01478-01ND