Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Old Westbury

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.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND60ND

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
2018-11-137070937001ND
2018-11-147071092001ND
2018-12-057072990001ND
2018-12-127073710001ND
2018-12-177074135001ND
2019-08-2870103045001ND
2019-08-2870103045002ND
2019-09-1770105239001ND
2020-09-0870144946001ND
2020-09-1470145710001ND
2020-09-2170146959001ND
2020-09-2170146109001ND
2020-09-2170146593001ND
2020-09-2170145144001ND
2021-11-1070194291002ND
2021-11-1070194291001ND
2021-11-1670194897001ND
2021-11-1670194897002ND
2021-12-0870197159001ND
2021-12-2270198899001ND
2022-11-0370235618001ND
2022-11-0470235627001ND
2022-11-1470236635001-SOCSND
2022-11-1670237102001-SOCSND
2022-11-3070238257001-SOCSND
2022-12-2170240934001-SOCSND
2023-11-0170276065001ND
2023-11-0170276065002ND
2023-11-0870276909002ND
2023-11-0870276909001ND
2023-11-2970279034001ND
2023-11-2970279034002ND