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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

Washington Suburban Sanitary 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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

68

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND80ND
2015ND140ND
20160.00319 ppb161ND - 0.0510 ppb
2017ND110ND
2018ND100ND
20190.0167 ppb91ND - 0.150 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
2014-01-140150005_02_AC147ND
2014-01-140150005_01_AC148ND
2014-04-080150005_01_AC237ND
2014-04-080150005_02_AC237ND
2014-07-080150005_01_AC339ND
2014-07-080150005_02_AC338ND
2014-10-070150005_01_AC442ND
2014-10-070150005_02_AC441ND
2015-04-07AC63036_AND
2015-04-07AC63103_AND
2015-04-07AC63037_AND
2015-04-07AC63104_AND
2015-07-21AC75023_AND
2015-07-21AC74885_AND
2015-07-21E16000223001ND
2015-07-21AC75022_AND
2015-07-21AC74884_AND
2015-09-17E16001148002ND
2015-10-20AC86590_AND
2015-10-20AC86521_AND
2015-10-20AC86520_AND
2015-10-20AC86591_AND
2016-01-05AC95134_AND
2016-01-05AC95133_AND
2016-01-07AC95530ND
2016-01-07AC95529ND
2016-04-05AD05220_AND
2016-04-05AD05221_AND
2016-04-05AD05144_AND
2016-04-05AD05145_AND
2016-07-05AD16292_AND
2016-07-05AD16293_AND
2016-07-05AD16371_AND
2016-07-05AD16372_AND
2016-10-04AD27387_AND
2016-10-04AD27268_A0.0510 ppb
2016-10-04AD27269_AND
2016-10-04AD27386_AND
2017-01-03AD37582_1ND
2017-01-03AD37639_1ND
2017-04-04AD48421_AND
2017-04-04AD48361_AND
2017-07-05AD58950_AND
2017-07-05AD58856_AND
2017-07-05AD58855_AND
2017-07-05AD58951_AND
2017-10-10AD70841_AND
2017-10-10AD70851_AND
2017-10-10AD70852_AND
2018-01-09AD80334_AND
2018-01-09AD80286_AND
2018-03-06E18003205001ND
2018-03-08E18003256001ND
2018-04-03AD90607_AND
2018-04-17AD92357_AND
2018-07-03AE01426_AND
2018-07-03AE01408_AND
2018-10-09AE12972_AND
2018-10-09AE13045_AND
2019-01-08AE23273_AND
2019-01-08AE23251_AND
2019-04-02AE32624_AND
2019-04-02AE32624ND
2019-04-02AE32601_AND
2019-09-03AE51398ND
2019-09-03AE513940.150 ppb
2019-10-01AE54418ND
2019-10-01AE54471ND