Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Sugar Mountain Utility

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.

 

44

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND160ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND170ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-02-277041-022718-OOSSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OGHSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OPQSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOWSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOTSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OORSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OONSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOISND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOFSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOESND
2018-02-277041-022718-OODSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOCSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOBSND
2018-02-277041-022718-OOASND
2018-02-277041-022718-OJKSND
2018-07-247041-072418-OLMSND
2019-07-097041-070919-OLMSND
2020-03-2437729_20-12781ND
2020-05-127041-051220-OOVSND
2020-07-147041-071420-OLMSND
2020-07-147041-071420-OOVSND
2020-07-147041-071420-OOXSND
2021-01-197041-011921-OOVSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OJKSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OPQSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOWSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOTSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOSSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OORSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OONSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOISND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOFSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOESND
2021-04-147041-041421-OODSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOCSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOBSND
2021-04-147041-041421-OOASND
2021-04-147041-041421-OGHSND
2021-09-217041-092121-OLMSND
2022-03-157041-031522-OOVSND
2023-03-01752-3738-1ND
2023-08-30752-11124-1ND
2023-08-30752-11126-1ND
2023-10-17752-12711-1ND