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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

Erie City 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.

 

22

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND60ND
2015ND40ND
2016ND30ND
2017ND30ND
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND

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
2014-05-133024693ND
2014-05-133024693ND
2014-08-193086009ND
2014-08-193086009ND
2014-09-233109571ND
2014-09-233109571ND
2015-04-1512962986ND
2015-05-0613585658ND
2015-08-1813341556ND
2015-09-1713585729ND
2016-05-2414507013ND
2016-07-2014841783ND
2016-08-2315015276ND
2017-05-1616355429ND
2017-07-1316506455ND
2017-09-2016822123ND
2018-01-083849221ND
2018-05-213941481ND
2018-08-214030518ND
2019-05-214302825ND
2019-09-104415509ND
2019-11-184489105ND