Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Ward II Water District

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.

 

38

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND160ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND20ND
2021ND140ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-05-0235390161002ND
2018-05-0235390161001ND
2018-05-0235390161001ND
2018-05-0235390161002ND
2018-06-2535400823001ND
2018-06-2535400823005ND
2018-06-2535400823004ND
2018-06-2535400823003ND
2018-06-2535400823002ND
2018-06-2535400823005ND
2018-06-2535400823004ND
2018-06-2535400823003ND
2018-06-2535400823002ND
2018-06-2535400823001ND
2018-09-1035417396001ND
2018-09-1035417396001ND
2020-06-2335558765001ND
2020-06-2335558765002ND
2021-03-2935622757003ND
2021-03-2935622757001ND
2021-03-2935622757002ND
2021-06-1435641231005ND
2021-06-1435641231004ND
2021-06-1435641231001ND
2021-06-1435641231002ND
2021-06-1435641231003ND
2021-06-2835644430002ND
2021-06-2835644434003ND
2021-06-2835644434002ND
2021-06-2835644434001ND
2021-06-2835644430003ND
2021-06-2835644430001ND
2022-08-2235742597001ND
2023-05-0835799020001ND
2023-05-0835799020002ND
2023-05-0835799020003ND
2023-05-0835799020004ND
2023-05-0835799020005ND