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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

City of Bastrop

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.

 

21

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND30ND
2015ND30ND
2016ND30ND
2017ND30ND
20180.0467 ppb31ND - 0.140 ppb
20190.0167 ppb61ND - 0.1000 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-02-18AC43461ND
2014-02-18AC43459ND
2014-02-18AC43460ND
2015-02-02AC78873ND
2015-02-02AC78878ND
2015-02-02AC78875ND
2016-01-25AD19870ND
2016-01-25AD19868ND
2016-01-25AD19869ND
2017-01-10AD64133ND
2017-04-05AD78659ND
2017-04-05AD78660ND
2018-01-23AE09978ND
2018-01-23AE09976ND
2018-01-23AE099730.140 ppb
2019-01-16AE50286ND
2019-01-16AE50290ND
2019-04-11AE621590.1000 ppb
2019-04-11AE62156ND
2019-07-30AE76478ND
2019-11-20AE90021ND