Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Atrazine

New Orleans Carrollton Waterworks

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

55

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

13

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND120ND
20150.0135 ppb82ND - 0.0540 ppb
2016ND80ND
20170.205 ppb951.40 ppb - 2.70 ppb
20180.165 ppb84ND - 0.360 ppb
20190.172 ppb104ND - 0.440 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-01-06AD88197ND
2014-01-06AD88196ND
2014-01-06AD88197ND
2014-01-06AD88196ND
2014-06-16AD92255ND
2014-06-16AD92256ND
2014-06-16AD92256ND
2014-06-16AD92255ND
2014-10-15AD98628ND
2014-10-15AD98627ND
2014-10-15AD98628ND
2014-10-15AD98627ND
2015-02-2335177313001ND
2015-02-2335177313002ND
2015-02-2335177313002ND
2015-02-2335177313001ND
2015-09-30352097660020.0540 ppb
2015-09-3035209766001ND
2015-09-3035209766001ND
2015-09-30352097660020.0540 ppb
2016-01-2035226299002ND
2016-01-2035226299001ND
2016-01-2035226299001ND
2016-01-2035226299002ND
2016-12-0735282294006ND
2016-12-0735282147004ND
2016-12-0735282294006ND
2016-12-0735282147004ND
2017-02-0935294515002ND
2017-02-0935294515001ND
2017-02-0935294515002ND
2017-02-0935294515001ND
2017-05-08353113020010.270 ppb
2017-05-08353113020020.140 ppb
2017-05-08353113020010.270 ppb
2017-05-08353113020020.140 ppb
2017-06-010.205 ppb*
2018-03-1535380391001ND
2018-03-1535380391002ND
2018-03-1535380391001ND
2018-03-1535380391002ND
2018-08-15354116330010.300 ppb
2018-08-15354116330020.360 ppb
2018-08-15354116330010.300 ppb
2018-08-15354116330020.360 ppb
2019-02-2735451098001ND
2019-02-2735451097001ND
2019-02-2735451097001ND
2019-02-2735451098001ND
2019-08-01354866610010.440 ppb
2019-08-01354866650010.420 ppb
2019-08-01354866610010.440 ppb
2019-08-01354866650010.420 ppb
2019-09-1935499418001ND
2019-09-1935499418001ND

* Sample result is taken from the system's CCR report.