Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

2,4-D

Lafourche Water District 1

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.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND80ND
20190.0640 ppb84ND - 0.160 ppb
2020ND40ND
20210.0950 ppb41ND - 0.380 ppb
20220.0925 ppb41ND - 0.370 ppb
20230.0625 ppb41ND - 0.250 ppb

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
2018-01-2535370415009ND
2018-01-2535370415009ND
2018-02-2635377894001ND
2018-02-2635377894001ND
2018-07-2335406305001ND
2018-07-2335406305001ND
2018-08-2335413196001ND
2018-08-2335413196001ND
2019-01-2935445082001ND
2019-01-2935445082001ND
2019-02-18354493740010.0960 ppb
2019-02-18354493740010.0960 ppb
2019-07-2435484855001ND
2019-07-2435484855001ND
2019-08-28354940520010.160 ppb
2019-08-28354940520010.160 ppb
2020-01-2235526013001ND
2020-01-2235526013002ND
2020-10-1535585520001ND
2020-12-0335596468001ND
2021-03-1135619276001ND
2021-03-11356192850010.380 ppb
2021-11-0435675774001ND
2021-12-1635685695001ND
2022-03-0235701429001ND
2022-03-0235701432001ND
2022-08-25357427310010.370 ppb
2022-10-1235753130001ND
2023-02-2735782418001ND
2023-09-2635830710001ND
2023-10-2335836721001ND
2023-12-14358485330010.250 ppb