Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Lone Grove

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.

 

79

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND110ND
2019ND180ND
2020ND140ND
2021ND120ND
2022ND120ND
2023ND120ND

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
2018-08-141808951ND
2018-08-2118081133ND
2018-08-2118081132ND
2018-08-2118081131ND
2018-08-2818081348ND
2018-12-161812434ND
2018-12-161812433ND
2018-12-161812437ND
2018-12-161812436ND
2018-12-161812435ND
2018-12-161812438ND
2019-03-191903510ND
2019-03-191903509ND
2019-03-201903508ND
2019-03-271903674ND
2019-03-271903673ND
2019-06-261906845ND
2019-06-261906848ND
2019-06-261906847ND
2019-06-261906846ND
2019-06-261906844ND
2019-09-241909828ND
2019-09-241909827ND
2019-09-241909826ND
2019-09-241909825ND
2019-09-241909824ND
2019-09-241909823ND
2019-11-031911037ND
2019-11-031911036ND
2020-01-062001082ND
2020-01-062001081ND
2020-02-022002013ND
2020-02-022002012ND
2020-03-01100009-01ND
2020-03-01100010-01ND
2020-04-05100477-01ND
2020-04-05100478-01ND
2020-07-05101705-01ND
2020-07-05101704-01ND
2020-07-12101838-01ND
2020-07-12101837-01ND
2020-07-14101902-01ND
2020-07-14101901-01ND
2021-04-06105646-01ND
2021-04-06105645-01ND
2021-05-04106063-01ND
2021-05-04106062-01ND
2021-06-06106611-01ND
2021-06-06106612-01ND
2021-08-22107816-01ND
2021-08-22107815-01ND
2021-08-29107892-01ND
2021-08-29107891-01ND
2021-09-06107988-01ND
2021-09-06107987-01ND
2022-03-06110590-01ND
2022-05-01111380-01ND
2022-05-01111379-01ND
2022-05-10111565-01ND
2022-05-10111566-01ND
2022-05-10111567-01ND
2022-07-05112278-01ND
2022-07-05112279-01ND
2022-09-11113346-01ND
2022-09-11113345-01ND
2022-10-02113678-01ND
2022-10-02113677-01ND
2023-02-12115486-01ND
2023-02-12115487-01ND
2023-04-30116721-01ND
2023-04-30116722-01ND
2023-06-04117247-01ND
2023-06-04117248-01ND
2023-07-04117723-01ND
2023-07-04117724-01ND
2023-09-26119149-01ND
2023-09-26119150-01ND
2023-10-22119564-01ND
2023-10-22119565-01ND