Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Morgan City Water System

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)

7

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.335 ppb440.260 ppb - 0.410 ppb
20190.1000 ppb42ND - 0.200 ppb
2020ND20ND
20210.0665 ppb220.0540 ppb - 0.0790 ppb
20220.116 ppb220.0810 ppb - 0.150 ppb
20230.0440 ppb21ND - 0.0880 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
2018-05-03353902050010.410 ppb
2018-05-03353902050010.410 ppb
2018-07-23354062910010.260 ppb
2018-07-23354062910010.260 ppb
2019-01-2935445061001ND
2019-01-2935445061001ND
2019-07-24354848490010.200 ppb
2019-07-24354848490010.200 ppb
2020-02-0435528646001ND
2020-10-1535585524001ND
2021-03-25356217760010.0540 ppb
2021-11-30356809030010.0790 ppb
2022-03-24357060930010.0810 ppb
2022-08-25357427350010.150 ppb
2023-02-2735782420001ND
2023-10-23358367230010.0880 ppb