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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

North Wales Water Authority

2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a herbicide that can be applied directly to GMO corn and soy plants engineered to withstand this toxic chemical. Americans' exposures to 2,4-D from food and drinking water will likely increase in years to come as farmers plant more of these GMO crops. Read More.

2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid hormones. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 2,4-D as possibly carcinogenic to humans. In occupational studies, farmers exposed to 2,4-D tended to have higher incidences of damaged and malformed sperm. Laboratory animals exposed to 2,4-D during gestation are born underdeveloped and are more likely to have birth defects.

 

40

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND200ND
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017ND200ND
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 20 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 20 ppb for 2,4-D was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 70 ppb

The legal limit for 2,4-D, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit may not fully protect against harm to the nervous system, harm to the thyroid, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-04-0714030700-01ND
2014-04-0714030711-01ND
2014-04-0714030702-01ND
2014-04-0714030710-01ND
2014-04-0714030703-01ND
2014-04-0714030704-01ND
2014-04-0714030709-01ND
2014-04-0714030706-01ND
2014-04-0714030708-01ND
2014-04-0714030707-01ND
2014-07-1414071693-001ND
2014-07-1414071691-001ND
2014-07-1414071713-001ND
2014-07-1414071690-001ND
2014-07-1414071706-001ND
2014-07-2814073268-001ND
2014-07-2814073271-001ND
2014-07-2814073269-001ND
2014-07-2814073272-001ND
2014-07-2814073270-001ND
2017-04-0415939287ND
2017-04-1015939845ND
2017-04-1015939873ND
2017-04-1015939989ND
2017-04-1015939757ND
2017-04-1015939787ND
2017-04-1015939816ND
2017-04-1015939901ND
2017-04-1015939960ND
2017-04-1015939931ND
2017-07-0616415634ND
2017-07-2416567973ND
2017-07-2416568195ND
2017-07-2416567829ND
2017-07-2416567745ND
2017-07-2416567689ND
2017-07-2616567801ND
2017-07-2616567773ND
2017-07-2616567945ND
2017-07-2616567717ND