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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

Paw Penn District

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.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND160ND
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017ND140ND
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND20ND

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
2014-04-0125337701ND
2014-04-0125337901ND
2014-04-0225337201ND
2014-04-0225338601ND
2014-04-0225337501ND
2014-04-0425337101ND
2014-04-0425338401ND
2014-04-0425338101ND
2014-07-0726114201ND
2014-07-0726113001ND
2014-07-0726113501ND
2014-07-0926113701ND
2014-07-0926114001ND
2014-07-0926113301ND
2014-07-0926113101ND
2014-09-0426113901ND
2017-04-0315975915ND
2017-04-0315975884ND
2017-04-0315975853ND
2017-04-0315975824ND
2017-04-0315975793ND
2017-04-0315975946ND
2017-04-0315975764ND
2017-07-0616450241ND
2017-07-0616450270ND
2017-07-0616450301ND
2017-07-0616450363ND
2017-07-1116450183ND
2017-07-1116450332ND
2017-07-1116450212ND
2019-07-1545716201ND
2019-10-3143999701ND