Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Cross Timbers Water Supply Corporation

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.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0250 ppb41ND - 0.1000 ppb
20190.1000 ppb110.1000 ppb
20200.0500 ppb21ND - 0.1000 ppb
2021ND50ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-01-11Q1801616006ND
2018-01-11Q1801616005ND
2018-04-11Q1815188003ND
2018-12-05Q18496360040.1000 ppb
2019-03-07Q19099090030.1000 ppb
2020-05-18Q2019652005ND
2020-10-12Q20397190030.1000 ppb
2021-08-30Q2123513002ND
2021-08-30Q2123513004ND
2021-08-30Q2123513003ND
2021-08-30Q2123513001ND
2021-11-08Q2131371001ND
2022-02-17Q2205965001ND
2022-05-02Q2212894001ND
2022-09-22Q2228542002ND
2023-03-02Q2308488008ND
2023-03-02Q2308488009ND