Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Berwick Bayou Vista Water Works Commission

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

9

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.230 ppb440.210 ppb - 0.250 ppb
20190.150 ppb42ND - 0.300 ppb
2020ND20ND
20210.364 ppb220.0880 ppb - 0.640 ppb
20220.211 ppb220.0910 ppb - 0.330 ppb
20230.0600 ppb21ND - 0.120 ppb

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
2018-05-03353902060010.210 ppb
2018-05-03353902060010.210 ppb
2018-07-09354030380010.250 ppb
2018-07-09354030380010.250 ppb
2019-01-1535442693001ND
2019-01-1535442693001ND
2019-07-09354807220010.300 ppb
2019-07-09354807220010.300 ppb
2020-02-0435528640001ND
2020-10-1535585522001ND
2021-03-25356217790010.640 ppb
2021-11-30356808970010.0880 ppb
2022-03-24357060970010.0910 ppb
2022-07-28357355050010.330 ppb
2023-09-2635830707001ND
2023-10-09358333930010.120 ppb